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Red Bull have dropped a teaser for their highly-anticipated RB18 F1 car for 2022. Fans can reportedly join the experience via an interactive "lucky draw" hosted by the team.
While there is no release date yet for the highly-anticipated RB18 — successor to the championship-winning RB16B — fans can be a part of the reveal virtually.
Fans can sign up on an official website created by the team, giving their preference for which driver introduces the new car to them virtually. Fans can also choose their preferred language with or without subtitles.
The website reads:
"You’ll be able to customize your stream by picking which driver you’d like to introduce the show, which team leader you want to hear from and what language you’d like the main content to be in."
Why the 2022 Red Bull F1 car isn't named RB17
Many were left wondering why the 2022 car is called the RB18 and not the RB17, following 2021's RB16B. The reason for this skip is because the 2021 car had essentially the same design of the 2020 car due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with Racingnews365, team principal Christian Horner explained the strange nomenclature by saying:
"[Regarding] 17, we felt that 16B is essentially the same chassis. And there was so much carryover, we felt that it was more of a B car than warranting its own number. And then, obviously, we wanted to remain in sync with the amount of seasons that Red Bull have been in Formula 1, so that was why 17 will never exist. After the carryover, I thought it made more sense to call it a B car."
The Red Bull RB16B is now considered one of the all-time great F1 cars as it helped Max Verstappen secure his first title victory in the sport and end Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes' seven-year reign.
Max Verstappen's Red Bull RB18 will feature #1
Max Verstappen has confirmed that he will be using #1 on his 2022 car instead of #33. F1 world champions get the option to ditch their regular car number and opt for #1 after winning a title. A car on the F1 grid with #1 will be present in 2022 for the first time since Sebastian Vettel did it, where he took the number as the reigning world champion with the Red Bull as well.
Verstappen claims he has always wanted to drive car #1, saying it is a rare opportunity. He said after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:
"How many times can you do that? I don't know, maybe it's the only time I can in my life."
The Dutchman is set to ditch #33 after keeping it for the entirety of his racing career to date. When asked why he had originally chosen #33, the Red Bull driver said:
"Actually my favorite number is 3 but it was taken already by [then teammate] Daniel Ricciardo, so I couldn’t, but then I was like you know what, I’ll just add another 3 behind it; its double luck."
Max Verstappen will no doubt be hoping he doesn't suffer the same fate as Sebastian Vettel, who failed to defend his title in 2014 with Car #1.
