© Vladimir RysMaking A Livery: From Conception To CompletionWe take a look at how our car liveries are designed and painted.
Theblue,redandyellowofaRedBullRacingHondacarisinstantlyrecognisableandlovedaroundtheworld,buteverynowandthen,theTeamlikestomixthingsup.Andtocelebratetheteams’race-winningalliancewithpowerunitsupplierHonda,wehavelaunchedourspecialJapaneselivery,,onwhatshouldhavebeentheoccasionofitsfinalhomeraceatSuzuka.
The Team has used several one-off liveries in the past, usually at car launches or pre-season testing. These always kick up a flurry of comments on social media with fans saying how much they love them or that we should keep this as the paint scheme for the season. But what’s the process from designer’s drawing board (or laptop, we don’t all work like Adrian Newey here) to the reveal on track? Well, read on…
Normally the Brand Team and Paint Shop are given months to come up with a plan of action for a one-off livery, and that was the original plan for this. Christian had the idea that the RB16Bs should be in a special livery for the Japanese Grand Prix, but when the race was cancelled the idea was put on hold. The plan was a thank you to Honda and the years we’ve spent with them and all they have achieved in Formula One over the years.
Then with only a few weeks from when the Japanese race should’ve been – it was announced that we’d be in Turkey instead – the idea was taken off the shelf and it was all systems go!
Shining In The Pit Garage© Vladimir Rys
Once Christian had the idea, his first stop is to go to the Brand Team and tell them his idea. Then the creatives within the Brand Team start throwing around ideas and start mocking up several paint schemes. And one that stuck with the designers was an activation Red Bull Racing did when announcing Honda as the Team’s power unit supplier. “We used the iconic Honda race suits and classic liveries from the 1950s and 60s,” explained a Brand Team member. “They were pure white, with some red, which represented the Japanese flag. This was a chance for us to break from our core blue and go into something completely different, so we grasped it with both hands.”
After the initial mock-up has been created, the designer will head down to the Paint Shop and see if the design can be created. “Anything is doable,” said a member of the Paint Shop. “But before we can even start sorting out the paint, we need sign off,” he added.
This is the first obstacle the Brand Team and Paint Shop have to clear. They need to get sign off from Christian, Red Bull’s head office in Austria, and every single partner whose logo appears on the car. “That can be a challenge, especially as this design is monotone. It can be a task, but it’s a good task to have,” explained the Brand Team member.
Attention To Detail Is Vital© Vladimir Rys
While the Brand Team is focused on getting those all-important sign offs, the Paint Shop is working hard on making the jigs, which will conform to the shape of the car and working out the process for painting each individual part. This is so the team can get moving as quickly as possible.
After sign off and before painting can even begin, the Paint Shop has a huge task to be fully prepared for when the car arrives for its facelift. “Obviously it’s easy to look at an image and think ‘oh yeah, that’ll go straight on,’ but it doesn’t work like that,” explained the Paint Shop operative. “There are so many individual parts that are interchangeable and where the joins cross, we have to make sure they line up. So, we have to make the jigs for each part and then the paint masks for them to paint. with all the Jigs in place we make mock-ups of all the parts.
Normally the Paint Shop has months to go through this process, but the Japanese livery had to be done quickly. “It’s a huge process and this one has hit us,” explained the Paint Shop operative. “It’s been a monster of a challenge, but for everyone in the Paint Shop we’ve been really happy to do it, because it’s taken us away from the norm. Something different to look at, and we know it’s going to look awesome.”
Whilst some members of the Paint Shop are creating the jigs and mock-ups, other members are formulating the colours whilst also making sure the paint remains the same lightweight paint the Team is used to.
As you can already see, this is a huge process for a paint scheme you’re going to use for an entire season, let alone a one off. But this is Red Bull Racing Honda and we are always pushing the limit.
One-off race liveries aren’t new, a lot of teams do them, but when they decide to do a one off, they will pick paints that are already on a palette, they will also use graphics and sticker-up the car. “We don’t do that,” said the Paint Shop operative. “We paint the whole car, we go the full hog and when it goes out on track, it doesn’t look like any other of the liveries that the other teams have done before. We want it to be vibrant so it ‘pops’ on the circuit. It’s got to have the right impact when it rolls out of the garage. So, we don’t do things as standard here at Red Bull, we go a bit further – the paint isn’t off the shelf, it’s completely unique!”
Once the Paint Shop is ready to start painting, the RB16B comes in and is taken apart, like a jigsaw being dissembled and each piece is primed and then painted individually. The reason all the preparation work is so important is because the Paint Shop don’t reassemble the car, they send it to the track as individual pieces. “When it gets to the track and the Team put it back together in the garage so we have to be so sure it matches up – it always does!”
Precision And Patience Is Key© Vladimir Rys
For both the Brand Team and the Paint Shop it’s a huge challenge to get a one-off scheme ready – especially in the middle of a season, and not just any season, a season effected by COVID – but it’s a welcomed challenge.
“Even though we believe our livery is the strongest on the grid, we are doing the same livery over and over again,” explained the Paint Shop operative. “But we love to do something different. Don’t get me wrong it’s a massive amount of work for the entire team, but that’s why we’re in F1, we love to be thrown in the deep end!”
Everyone will be amazed when they see the RB16B out on track in Turkey with its new outfit on, but there will be plenty of people still in Milton Keynes swelling with pride over what they’ve created as a tribute to Honda.
“We’re not going to be disappointed when we see it on track and I think Honda are going to be blown away by it,” said the Brand Team designer. “We haven’t done a complete overhaul in the middle of the season for years. We make it a bit difficult for ourselves, but we want to look the best and be the best. It’s going to be something really special. I will enjoy a Heineken 0.0% when it rolls out,” he added.
This livery has invigorated the teams involved and they can’t wait to do it again. “We should do them more often. Our standard livery is very strong and to come away from that would be really hard – but it’s something the fans want. When we do a one off livery it gets people excited,” explained the designer, before the paint shop operative added: “We can all give ourselves a pat on the back. It’s great to see the teams come together for something like this, no matter how hard the work is.”
