The chassis was designed by Mark Smith, Rob Taylor and Ben Agathangelou and the car's engine was a Cosworth TJ2005 3.0 litres (183 cu in) V10.

The side bulkheads, similarly to the system of deflectors placed behind the front wheels, follow the layout of the old car and are inspired by those of Ferrari, especially in the detail of the flow diverters, taking on the characteristic shark tooth shape in the lower part.

The mouth of the sides is very similar to the old Jaguar while the rear part appears very different, abandoning the curious vent system of the R5 in favor of a more traditional design featuring long fins, chimneys and exhaust fairings.

The chassis stands out for its accentuated height from the ground, which presupposes the search for maximum aerodynamic load: the bonnet has been slightly modified as, although the squared air intake inherited from the R5 is maintained, in the area of the roll-bar a small profile has been added.

Briton David Coulthard drove for the entire season, with Austrian Christian Klien and Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi sharing the other car.

For the Monaco Grand Prix the two RB1s compete with a special livery aimed at promoting the film Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and, for this race, the pit crew dressed up as Imperial Stormtroopers.