The two surfaces for competition are very different – asphalt and water – but many elements of the respective sport programs are the same. When Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and the two-times winners of the America’s Cup – Alinghi Red Bull Racing – combined for a special livery design at the Gran Premi de Catalunya and the eleventh round of twenty in 2023 it was not only a meeting of colors but also a shared philosophy of harnessing cutting-edge technology and peak performance to achieve goals.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, with riders Brad Binder and Jack Miller, arrived at the new Swiss challenger facility located in the port of Barcelona ahead of the Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Binder having secured three podium finishes on the KTM RC16 and hovering on the edge of the top three in the championship standings. Miller has also grasped silverware in his first term with the squad. The team had decided to share elements of Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s ‘warrior’ livery – designed by renowned Catalan artist Javier Mariscal – for their charge into the Catalan GP.
Alinghi Red Bull Racing are nearing thirty years of existence and in that time have claimed the prestigious America’s Cup twice (the first time with their maiden attempt at the historic race) and are one of six entrants looking for top honors in the 2024 edition that will be held in Barcelona next October. The Swiss team use eight sailors and comprehensive back-up roster to steer the highly advanced and costly carbon AC75 that skims across the waves at speeds of 50 knots (approx. 100kmph) and weighs just 6.5 ton.
Alinghi Red Bull Racing are deep into a testing and development phase for their 2024 summer schedule of competition but had time to take Binder and Miller out ‘chasing’ the AC40 vessel, used for practice and training and carrying a similar level of technology when it comes to aerodynamics, weight and handling: the same priorities applied to the KTM RC16 for Grand Prix action.
The riders also talked with some of the crew about the physical and psychological demands of fighting the clock as well as rivals. The Gran Premi de Catalunya takes place over 24 laps but at speeds that reach almost 350kmph along the two principal straights and around the flowing 4.6km trajectory of 14 curves. The America’s Cup fights the elements and the force of the sea through eight days (and several preliminary regattas) and long laps but the intensity of both disciplines requires a razor sharp focus. Alinghi Red Bull Racing are already working and evolving their AC75 a year ahead of the crucial 37th edition of the America’s Cup. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing are fine-tuning the KTM RC16 throughout the Grand Prix season and the final one-day test of the season after the San Marino Grand Prix (that immediately follows the Catalan fixture) will be the latest chance to evaluate items and ideas that could shape the 2024 race bike.
The twinned approach to technical innovation and the high-class pursuit of results meant that the meeting of the Red Bull backed ‘giants’ in their disciplines was timely.
Brad Binder: “It was an awesome opportunity to come and have a look at everything that goes into Alinghi Red Bull Racing and the America’s Cup: I have a new respect for sailing, for sure! There are also a lot of similarities with our own MotoGP team. There are many people behind the scenes that put in massive effort every single day just to get us there in the best fighting shape possible from a technical side but also a physical side. About the new livery, well, everything tends to stay very similar for us, especially with the design of the bike and the paintwork so to be able to share this is really cool. Hopefully we can put it on the top step on Sunday.”
Jack Miller: “I’ve spent a lot of time on the water, generally in powerboats, but to see these racing boats out, foiling away, is incredible to witness firsthand. To watch them flying over the waves and going at some really rapid speeds is impressive.We were out there and able to listen to the guys working as a team, there’s definitely a big comparison there to what we do. As for the bike, I think a little bit of Catalan design will turn some heads this weekend!”
Nico Stahlberg, Alinghi Red Bull Racing: “Just incredible to see our Alinghi Red Bull Racing brand highlighted out there on the MotoGP track with the Red Bull KTM team bikes. The riders are absolute warriors on the race track – much like the special edition racing livery we get to see today – and we hope we can take some of that all-out speed I saw on the track with us to our own race course in Vilanova this month.”
