How Red Bull Advanced Technologies is shaping the future of high-performance engineering
In the fast-paced world of Formula One, where every millisecond counts and the margin for error is razor-thin, innovation is crucial. Red Bull Racing’s long-standing partnership with Hexagon has become an influential alliance in the world of motorsport, one which is are now being applied to design, engineering, simulation and production capabilities beyond the racetrack by the former’s sister company, Red Bull Advanced Technologies.
A GAME CHANGER ON THE GRID
Since 2006, Hexagon’s advanced metrology and manufacturing equipment has played an integral part of Red Bull Racing’s pursuit of performance. From the pit lane to the factory floor, Hexagon’s equipment has powered the kind of high-precision measurement and inspection capabilities that modern Formula One demands. As Rob Gray, technical director of Red Bull Advanced Technologies, explains, this partnership extends deep into the workflow of both car development and race-day operations.
“We use Hexagon products across five or six core areas, like inspection and build, but also trackside,” Gray says. “We don’t have an exact count, but it’s probably dozens of systems in constant use globally.”
One example of the impact of Hexagon’s technology was the introduction of its laser tracking system, which drastically altered how Red Bull sets up and maintains its cars.
“Before, set up was done manually – strings, rulers, the old-fashioned way,” Gray explains. “Switching to the tracker saved time and increased accuracy. On a Friday evening, the car gets pulled apart, checked and rebuilt. Saving even a few minutes during that turnaround means our people get more sleep, and our cars get better performance.”
Other key tools include portable CMMs and 3D scanners, which help Red Bull’s engineers ensure dimensional accuracy at every stage. These systems are used both for validating parts against CAD models and for monitoring fit and alignment during assembly. When damage or misalignment is suspected, technicians can scan the car and compare it to factory CAD data in real-time.
FROM TRACK TO ROAD
Red Bull Advanced Technologies is taking these learnings from Formula One and applying them to a wide range of challenges in broader engineering and manufacturing sectors. Simulation is a key tool used by the company’s engineering teams to understand the balance of trade-offs between competing requirements and ensuring the optimum product is delivered for a specific application. In particular, the company focuses on improving vehicle aerodynamics, mechanical, composite and electrical design, structural analysis, simulation and modelling, control systems and software development, and manufacturing.
Red Bull Advanced Technologies’ latest venture is the RB17 hypercar, which has been designed to blur the lines between an F1 racing vehicle and a high-performance road vehicle. First unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2024, the vehicle incorporates Formula One thinking at every level, and it too draws on Hexagon’s suite of solutions.
“The RB17 shares a lot of DNA with our F1 cars, and we plan to use Hexagon tools in the same way,” Gray expands. “From component measurement to bodywork scanning – and now even robotic inspection – we’re pushing what’s possible.”
In particular, robotic quality assurance holds promise for automating the inspection of panel gaps and finish tolerances, offering a leap forward in efficiency for high-end production.
KEEPING THE DRIVER IN MIND
Despite its racing pedigree, the RB17 is designed to be accessible to more than just professional drivers. With 1,200 horsepower and active suspension, the car can be tailored to suit the skills of its driver, even novices.
“We can tone it down,” Gray says. “Set it for understeer, make it safe and predictable. Then as drivers gain experience – whether in the simulator or on the track – they can turn it up. It becomes a tool for driver development as much as a performance machine.”
From developing the initial concept through to the delivery of the finished RB17 to customers, Red Bull Advanced Technologies is responsible for the entire process of designing and building the hypercar, of which there are only 50 that will be sold. The vehicle’s electric motor enables weight-saving design decisions, like removing the starter motor, alternator, and reverse gear, while still giving drivers performance and convenience.
“We’ve taken on some ridiculous challenges,” Gray says. “But we tend to deliver. Whether it’s building our own F1 engine or designing the RB17, it’s that mindset—if we commit to something, we can make it happen.”
