Red Bull's new RB18 breaks cover in Barcelona

Red Bull's all-new RB18 made its first public appearance on Wednesday morning in Barcelona.

Last week, the Milton Keynes-based outfit had unveiled a mere 2022 showcar to display its new title partnership with tech giant Oracle.

But on Monday morning at the Circuit de Catalunya, RBR's elegant new contender broke cover for the very first time with Max Verstappen putting the new car through its initial paces.

A striking feature immediately noted on the Honda-powered RB18 is the unique design of the car's sidepods, with a narrow inlet and an extreme undercut that practically separates the sidepod from the car's underfloor.

Furthermore, Red Bull has now opted for a pullrod front suspension - like McLaren - and a pushrod configuration at the rear.

Has Adrian Newey pulled off another genius stroke? Only time will tell.

In the interim, Sergio Perez will take over from Verstappen on Thursday while they will split driving duties on Friday.

• Read also: Red Bull rakes in another big-buck sponsorship deal

"We got our first impression of the RB18 at our filming day last week and the car looks good," said Verstappen ahaed of today's test.

"The rules are very different this year and so it is nice to get your first few laps in and get a feel for it.

"I don’t have any aims for the season yet, I just want to rock up to the track and try and do the best I can, like I do every single year. If the car is quick, I am sure we can do a very good job again.

"I am looking forward to another fun year together with the Team and Checo, he is a great guy and we really push each other, which at the end of the day is good for the Team."

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