Overview
- Red Bull and sister team Racing Bulls staged a joint Detroit presentation, revealing the RB22 in a glossy retro blue and the predominantly white VCARB 03, with the event streamed on the teams' YouTube channels.
- Max Verstappen praised the refreshed livery and acknowledged major unknowns under the new rules, while Red Bull confirmed Isack Hadjar as his teammate and Racing Bulls named Liam Lawson and debutant Arvid Lindblad.
- The Ford name returns to Formula 1 after about 22 years as part of the Red Bull Powertrains–Ford alliance, with Car and Driver reporting the power unit was largely developed at Red Bull’s Milton Keynes facility in collaboration with Ford.
- F1’s 2026 regulations bring smaller, lighter cars, active aerodynamics and hybrid systems with roughly half the output from electric power using 100% sustainable fuels, creating significant performance uncertainty.
- Teams now shift to closed-door pre‑season testing at Barcelona from January 26–30, before the campaign opens in Melbourne in March under the new technical framework.