Overview
- Red Bull and sister team Racing Bulls revealed their 2026 liveries at Detroit’s Michigan Central Station, using show cars and renders rather than their actual race machines.
- Red Bull confirmed it will race with its first in-house power unit under Red Bull Ford Powertrains, named DM01 in tribute to founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
- Technical director Ben Hodgkinson said Ford’s contribution is substantive, supplying personnel, advanced manufacturing for complex components, and buying power across the supply chain.
- Laurent Mekies said the team expects to be “trailing” early under the new rules, with the closed Barcelona shakedown on January 26–30 and Bahrain tests on February 11–13 and 18–20 set to reveal initial performance.
- Max Verstappen will race alongside promoted rookie Isack Hadjar in 2026, with Verstappen switching to car number 3 as the new season begins in Melbourne in early March.