The race that transformed perceptions of Red Bull

When Red Bull Racing first joined the Formula 1 grid in 2005, few could have foreseen the success that lay ahead or the juggernaut it would one day become.

Rising out of the ashes of the old Jaguar operation, Red Bull brought an injection of fun and vibrancy to the F1 grid in its early days. The Energy Station motorhome – and its buoyant Monaco equivalent – changed the game for F1 hospitality, while major movie franchises such Star Wars and Superman movies both enjoyed on-car branding.

Famously, team boss Christian Horner would dive into a swimming pool wearing nothing but a red cape after David Coulthard scored the team its first podium at Monaco in 2006. As the tobacco-rich era of F1 turned to ash, Red Bull quickly became the loudest team in the paddock.

But beneath it all was a long-term desire from billionaire owner Dietrich Mateschitz to reach the summit of motorsport and turn Red Bull into world-beaters. To do so, the team would have to change perceptions. And at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix on this day in 2009, the team took the first major step towards doing exactly that.

The arrival of Adrian Newey from McLaren marked an enormous coup for the team that would later pay huge dividends, yet his first two designs – the 2007 RB3 and ’08 RB4 – struggled to make a splash. Issues with the team’s wind tunnel caused setbacks, and the mature nature of the regulations made it hard to make any huge advancements on Red Bull’s placing in the midfield.

In shifting its attention to the opportunities provided by the new-for-2009 regulations, Red Bull struggled through the closing stages of the 2008 season, receding even behind junior team Toro Rosso which took its first pole and race win through Sebastian Vettel at Monza. Vettel had already been named as a Red Bull F1 driver for 2009 following David Coulthard’s decision to retire, stepping up to partner Mark Webber.

But the rules overhaul for 2009 offered Red Bull the chance to make the step forward it craved as the field was shaken up.

The former Honda team, hastily re-named Brawn GP after its takeover by the current F1 managing director of motorsport, may have dominated the opening round in Australia, but Vettel was the only driver to really give chase to Jenson Button before a last-lap clash with Robert Kubica cost him second place.

Vettel then spun out in the Malaysia downpour and stopped when his anti-stall didn’t work, while Webber brought home Red Bull’s first points – 1.5 of them -…