RB F1 Ends 2024: Tough Finale, Eyes Racing Bulls Era

RB F1 faced a difficult season-ending race in Abu Dhabi. Mekies vows progress as the team transitions to Racing Bulls.

RB F1 concluded the 2024 season with a point-less race, leaving team principal Laurent Mekies somewhat disappointed with the outcome. Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson encountered issues at the start and during a pit stop, respectively, which derailed both drivers’ races.

“We didn’t have a satisfying end to the season, with Yuki facing a problem on the starting line and Liam having to endure a 10-second stop due to an issue during his pit stop,” said Mekies. “It’s a tough way to finish the season, especially after all the great work the team has done this year in terms of reliability and pit stops.”

The Frenchman confirmed the team will officially be named Racing Bulls next year, following a season without an official title: “Looking at the season as a whole, it has been a very intense year from day one, as we began with a new mission and a new name, which now becomes Racing Bulls for greater clarity.”

“We’ve had highs and lows along the way, but we’ve started building stronger foundations for the team’s future. It’s now time to thank everyone at Faenza, Bicester, Milton Keynes, Honda, and RBPT for their fantastic work this season, which has enabled us to make progress on our journey.”

“A special thank-you must also go to our drivers, Yuki and Liam, both of whom made significant strides this year, and not forgetting the invaluable impact Daniel Ricciardo had on us earlier in the year.”

“Although we’re not satisfied with our position in the championship, our drivers scored nearly double the points compared to last season, and we’ve had our fair share of exciting battles on track. There are many exciting challenges ahead this winter, and we’ll do everything possible to continue progressing into 2025.”

Technical director Tim Goss believes a top-10 finish was within reach, were it not for the technical issues that hindered the drivers: “We had a strong chance to finish in the points with a well-executed one-stop race. Unfortunately, a few technical and operational issues set us back.”

“Yuki’s start did not go as planned, triggering the anti-stall. From the back of the grid, he then drove a solid race, narrowly losing out to Stroll, who made two stops in the closing laps. We have some early insights into the deficiencies with the launch start and will address them moving forward.”

“Liam, on the other hand, had a good start and first lap, running in tenth position early on. We felt we had a strong chance against some of our rivals ahead. However, Liam’s pit stop didn’t go as planned, with the front-left wheel only partially secured before being tightened.”

“The wheel refit and the resulting penalty left little opportunity to fight for points. Ultimately, a brake issue forced us to retire the car. We will come back stronger next season.”