Racing Bulls Unveils Subtle 2026 Livery Alongside Ford and Red Bull

Racing Bulls has pulled the covers off its 2026 Formula 1 livery during a joint launch event in Detroit with Ford and the senior Red Bull Racing team. While the event marked a significant milestone in the partnership with the American manufacturer, the Faenza-based outfit opted for a more evolutionary design rather than a radical overhaul, keeping its visual identity largely consistent with the 2025 season.

Why it matters:

The launch highlights the deepening ties between the Red Bull family and Ford as the 2026 regulations loom. While Red Bull Racing embraced the new partnership with heavy use of Ford blue, Racing Bulls' conservative approach suggests a desire to maintain its own distinct brand identity within the wider group. It also signals stability for the team as it prepares for a new era of regulations and a fresh start with its driver lineup.

The Details:

• Visual Evolution: The livery features only slight tweaks compared to the 2025 specification. It lacks the prominent Ford blue seen on the senior team's car, sticking closer to the team's traditional dark and navy color scheme.
• Showcar Basis: The design appears on a variation of the generic 2026 showcar previously displayed by the FIA and F1, distinct from the specific showcar unveiled by Red Bull Racing at the same event.
• Testing Reality: The team has confirmed that the car arriving at the first pre-season test in Barcelona will be significantly different from this launch showcar, as the focus shifts from aesthetics to performance.
• Driver Lineup: This livery will be driven by Liam Lawson, who is entering his first full pre-season with the team. After starting last year with Red Bull Racing and previous mid-season campaigns in 2023 and 2024, this marks a crucial opportunity for the New Zealander to prepare for a full season.

What's next:

Attention now shifts to the pre-season test in Barcelona, where the true performance potential of the 2026 package will be revealed. The team will be eager to see how their new power unit partnership translates to on-track speed compared to their rivals.