Red Bull Racing Story

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The challenger cultureUpon entering the team’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, UK, it’s impossible to miss the trophies. Rows upon rows stack to the ceiling, telling stories of Oracle Red Bull Racing’s most thrilling victories from all over the world. Bahrain. Saudi Arabia. Mexico City. São Paulo. Belgium. Italy. Monaco. Miami. Las Vegas. Just to name a few.

Hexagon has played a vital role in the success we’ve achieved – not just recently, but over a long period of time as a valued partner to the team. We’re using Hexagon to ensure we’ll be competitive for years to come.” Christian HornerTeam Principal & Chief Executive Officer

$15.8 M

cost of an F1 car

€128 M

team spending cap per season

1/10

of a second can determine a victory

With Hexagon’s help, we’ve managed to reduce our faults by 50% over the last two years.” Mike Hughes Head of Quality Assurance and Manufacturing Engineering

We were able to measure things we’d never measured before. And then we realised how much more accurate it was than other technologies.” Paul Monaghan Chief Engineer of Car Engineering

Hexagon’s tools give us the ability to select and build the most accurate powertrain through the use of integrated software in our assembly process." Jonathan Crankshaw Supply Chain Director, Red Bull Powertrains

A championship spirit You can hear it first. The thundering roar of the engines matched by the revelry of the crowds. And then you see it – but only for a second. Blink and you’ll miss the cars racing past at blistering speed. It’s a near-transcendent experience that quickens your heartbeat and catches in your throat. This is Formula 1 racing – and it’s unlike anything else in the world. What does it take to win in a sport this intense? Many teams have tried and failed. Only an elite few have learned how to not only win, but dominate across seasons. Oracle Red Bull Racing is one of those teams. There has never been a more dominant Formula 1 car than Oracle Red Bull Racing’s RB19. Driven by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, the RB19 won an astounding 95.45% of its races in the 2023 season with 15 consecutive wins. The overwhelming dominance has made Oracle Red Bull Racing the team to beat for the 2024 season. Many teams have studied Oracle Red Bull Racing’s approach to manufacturing and engineering, searching for the secret formula that has propelled the team to the pinnacle of car racing. In a sport where milliseconds can spell victory or defeat, Formula 1’s top competitors search for any advantage they can find. Yet it’s Oracle Red Bull Racing that has continually achieved the unachievable.

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A championship spirit | The challenger culture | Making a legendary car | Right the first time | Looking to the future

20,000

400 GB

50%

Right the first time Every F1 team knows manufacturing errors will have costly impacts on budget, time and race results. That also applies to operating under the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) rules, which are in place to ensure cars are within regulation and the sport stays competitive, despite different budgets and resources across teams. Paul Monaghan, Chief Engineer of Car Engineering, says his team must be wise about everything they do. “You have a finite amount of money to spend each season,” explains Monaghan. “If you spend it unwisely, it will detract from your competitive level. We never seek to waste time or money.” Yet he says the cost cap per season – which currently rests at €128 million – has driven Oracle Red Bull Racing towards higher levels of efficiency. That’s crucial with the FIA, which inspects cars for everything from safety and technical standards to environmental sustainability, and forbids any cars to race that are outside regulations. “If you’re outside FIA requirements, you’re not in control of your own destiny,” Monaghan says. “If it’s in breach of the technical regulations, out you go.” Like Oracle Red Bull Racing, the FIA uses Hexagon’s equipment to measure and inspect the legality of the car. That means the team can be confident about the car’s tolerances and measurements before inspection – when the FIA inspects the car, they will get the same results as Oracle Red Bull Racing did during testing. “We have absolute trust in Hexagon’s technology,” Monaghan says. “We’ve been using the equipment for many years, and there’s no need for a backup.”

During the season, the team works at a breakneck pace with sometimes only three days between races. The speed of work and precision of components leaves no room for error. With over 20,000 design changes each season, it’s imperative that the cars are built exactly as designed the first time. Anything less than the utmost accuracy will cost them in the next race. “When we substitute parts from car to car, race to race, they have to perform exactly as expected the first time,” he says. This is where Hexagon’s technology comes in. Using Hexagon’s metrology equipment and scanners, engineers can measure every component on the car and the engine. These measurements ensure individual components and assembled parts are built to the exact specifications outlined in the design, down to a single layer of paint. That’s especially true when transporting the car. The team strips the vehicle down to 8,000 parts for transport, then reassembles it at the next event. “All those parts have to be interchangeable,” Hughes says. “We have to have quality parts for that to happen.” Hexagon’s scanners are used on-track to ensure reassembly happens correctly every time. For its 2022 and 2023 championship seasons, Oracle Red Bull Racing used Hexagon’s technology to cut their number of on-track faults in half. Hughes says that’s ultimately due to the quality of parts they can produce through the speed of data capture. The team was able to embed inspections into the manufacturing process and ensure they produced the right quality of parts every time.

Oracle Red Bull Racing was also the first team to bring Hexagon’s technology into the pit lane during races in 2012. “We took a Hexagon laser tracker into the pit and began to scratch the surface of what it could do,” Monaghan says. “We were able to measure things we’d never measured before. We were able to see where things were on the car where we couldn’t before. And then we realised how much more accurate it was than other technologies.” Hexagon is used in virtually all F1 garages now. “Did we change Formula 1 a little bit? Perhaps.” Monaghan says with a grin. He says the advantage now lies in knowing how to use the technology to its full potential. “I suspect,” he says, “given our time with the Hexagon equipment, we may be a little bit better.”

updates to the car per season

data gathered per race

fewer faultsin two years

Explore Hexagon’s partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing Our technology continues to assist Oracle Red Bull Racing as they dominate their competition. Learn more about our long-standing partnership with the team.

Discover the tools Oracle Red Bull Racing uses to make championship race cars Oracle Red Bull Racing uses a wide range of Hexagon’s manufacturing equipment, laser trackers and software to get their cars ready for the next race.

50%

electrical energy by 2026

6 mo

time to finish the team’s first powertrain

accuracy required in a powertrain

100%

Absolute Arm The portable measuring arms with the Absolute Scanner AS1 allows the team to create intricately detailed 3D scans of car parts at high frame rates and speeds.

HP-L-10.10 The laser scanning sensor for CMMs gives Oracle Red Bull Racing an advantage in accuracy and precision through high-capacity inspection of parts.

Leica Absolute Tracker AT960 The portable laser tracker allows the team to measure and see insights about the car’s performance in the pit lane.

See it in action

Race victories

Constructors’ Championships

Drivers’ Championships

The team’s impressive string of wins around the world has acquired dozens of unique cups and medals from every continent but Antarctica. There’s an electric current through the air in the hallways – an excitement from shared purpose and passion to win the team’s next trophy. Across the street stands Oracle Red Bull Racing’s cavernous public meeting arena, the MK-7. Named after the team’s postcode, the space is the resting place of 13 previous models of Oracle Red Bull Racing cars. Towering banners two stories high and large, glittering emblems adorn the hallway leading into the showroom, celebrating the seven World Driver Championships and six World Constructors’ Championships the team has won since 2010.

Looking to the future The FIA’s regulations will soon have sweeping changes to the sport, especially in sustainability. By 2026, F1 cars will require less fuel and more electrical output. To be ready for the changes, Oracle Red Bull Racing started a team dedicated to building its own powertrain engine. Jonathan Crankshaw, Supply Chain Director of Red Bull Powertrains, says the team is on a journey. “With new regulations comes new opportunity,” he says. “By 2026, our first in-house designed, built and operated power unit will be on track. We’re trusting in Hexagon to help us on that journey.” Oracle Red Bull Racing’s goal was to prepare for the regulations while taking their destiny into their own hands. In less than six months, they invented the first version of their powertrain, from concept to delivery. A miracle, considering powertrains comprise 5,000 dynamically-moving components. All those parts have to work together seamlessly, with ultimate precision, to get the best out of the car. “Hexagon’s tools give us the ability to select and build the most accurate powertrain through the use of integrated software in our assembly process,” Crankshaw says.

Making a legendary car Exploring deeper into the Milton Keynes facility reveals much about the team’s methodology around manufacturing. Every space is pristine, with state-of-the-art technology for developing, scanning and testing car parts. Engineers hover around screens and discuss measurements to ensure each piece of the car is 100% accurate. This hyper-precision is critical to win what Oracle Red Bull Racing calls “the development race." It means a faster manufacturing cycle for the car equals a greater edge on the track. Many fans know the thrill of F1 competition on the track – but the race truly starts in the manufacturing offices and labs where the cars are designed, built and tested. Mike Hughes, Head of Quality Assurance and Manufacturing Engineering for Oracle Red Bull Racing, says speed is always one of his team’s top priorities. “The quicker we can make the car,” says Hughes, “the quicker we can test the car and get feedback to continue its design evolution.”

Now in the midst of its 2024 season, Oracle Red Bull Racing continues to chase wins and championships. They thrive on their leading edge of the sport, breaking boundaries and pioneering innovation more than any other team. Horner smiles when asked about the team’s future. “Our goal is to continue winning,” he says. Of course. “Hexagon has played a key role in helping us achieve all the victories from the past 15 years,” he says. “We’re looking forward to many more years of partnership together, and hopefully, many more victories to come.”

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QUINDOS The metrology software helps the team measure, simulate and analyse components and systems.

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See it in action

Surrounded by these tokens of his team’s success, Christian Horner, Team Principal and Chief Executive Officer, swells with pride when asked about what makes winning in this sport so satisfying. “It’s the pinnacle of motorsport,” he says. “It’s really the ultimate machines competing around the world. It’s intense and exciting.” That same challenger attitude must be present in their partners, too. “Our technology partners are a crucial element for us,” he says. “We’ve got to work with the best-in-class partners, and we’re very selective about the partners we work with. They’re a key part of our success.”

Surrounded by these tokens of his team’s success, Christian Horner, team principal and Chief Executive Officer, swells with pride when asked about what makes winning in this sport so satisfying. “It’s the pinnacle of motorsport,” he says. “It’s really the ultimate machines competing around the world. It’s intense and exciting. That same challenger attitude must be present in their partners, too. “Our technology partners are a crucial element for us,” he says. “We’ve got to work with the best-in-class partners, and we’re very selective about the partners we work with. They’re a key part of our success.”

Oracle Red Bull Racing and Hexagon at-a-glance

F1 team

design changes per season

fewer faults using Hexagon's tech