Red Bull has become the eighth team to announce the launch date of its 2018 contender.

The wraps will come off the RB14 next Monday, 19 February, as the Austrian team attempts to put the difficulties of the RB13 well and truly behind it.

The early launch date means that Red Bull, usually among the last to launch, will this year be one of the first, Grove rivals Williams beating it to pole. Indeed, it is believed the practice of launching the car at the very last possible moment has been the part of the problem for the Austrian outfit in recent years, which this year clearly intends to be prepared from the outset.

While the RB13 was the decent chassis one would always expect from the Milton Keynes squad, woeful engine reliability and sheer bad luck compromised the team throughout the season, with Max Verstappen particularly badly hit in the first half of the year and Daniel Ricciardo in the latter stages.

With the Dutch driver now tied into a new three-year deal, the team will be hoping that the RB14 is enough to persuade Ricciardo to remain on board, the Australian out of contract at the end of the year and highly fancied by Mercedes.

Also out of contract at the end of the season is the team's deal with Renault, leaving the Austrian outfit with severely limited options going forward. Indeed, the most likely scenario in 2019 appears to be a Red Bull-Honda partnership, though much will depend on the fortunes of sister outfit Toro Rosso which is using the Japanese manufacturer's engines this year after three disastrous seasons as supplier to McLaren.

With Williams the first team scheduled to launch, the FW41 to be unveiled this Thursday, Haas and Force India remain the only teams still to announce their reveals.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Amspeed, 14/02/2018 12:26

"Correction to my comment. Referring to last years McLaren as the MCL17 - meant to say the 2017, MCL 32.
And one iconic car I forgot was the Tyrell 001 and the brilliant Derek Gardner. Sorry Ken!"

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2. Posted by Amspeed, 13/02/2018 17:00

"Sometimes I just sigh at all of this. Does anyone really - I mean, really, care about these car launches anymore? All we're really waiting for is to find out what colour the car is. Indeed, having just watched the very good documentary 'Grand Prix Driver', about McLaren's 2017 season, as preparations were being made for the launch of the MCL 17 all anyone seemed to care about was 'what colour is it going to be?' No technical specs or aerodynamic comment - just 'Wow'! It's Orange and Black'!
Many (many) years ago my Dad took me to the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix. We witnessed a revolution as the Lotus 49 was revealed. No big fanfare, no flashing lights or loud music. Just Jim Clark at the wheel and, I remember clearly, a grimacing Colin Chapman, spanners in hand, following it down the pit lane as it sputtered to start.
The rest was history. There followed such icons as the Lotus 72, Lotus 79, McLaren M23, Hesketh 308, Shadow DN1, BRM P153, Ferrari 312T, and the March 701 and 711. Then of course all those gorgeous Brabham BT's and Williams FW's! All distinctively different, each one trying to raise the bar over previous iterations. Aside from Chapman we saw Maurice Philippe, John Barnard, Harvey Postlethwaite, Tony Southgate, Mauro Forghieri, Robin Herd and Gordons' Coppuck and Murray. They were all allowed to give their cars personalities and characters now long gone - unless we, of course, watch Historic Formula One, which continues to grow in popularity over its contemporary counterpart. Wonder why. As I've said in a previous Comment, until the FIA, through its rules, once again encourages creativity, innovation, and a little out-of-the-box thinking, I fear the sport will continue to decline. Anyway, I hear the Ferrari launch will be interesting this year. Wonder what colour the car will be.....
"

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Red Bull reveals launch date

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