Red Bull revealed the nostalgic blue livery for the 2026 F1 season at a launch event in Detroit as the team ushered in a new era.
Red Bull and junior team Racing Bulls celebrated the new engine era Thursday night at partner Ford’s Detroit headquarters, becoming the first teams to unveil its 2026 look.
For the first time since joining the F1 grid in 2005, Red Bull is working with US car giant Ford to manufacture its own engines in line with the introduction of new regulations for both power units and chassis.
Max Verstappen was in attendance as he prepares to reclaim the drivers’ title after his streak of four consecutive world championships was halted by McLaren’s Lando Norris last year.
Verstappen has another new teammate in 21-year-old Frenchman Izak Hajar, who has been promoted after a very impressive rookie season with Racing Bulls.
Red Bull said the RB22 livery marks “a return to the glossy finish first seen when the team debuted in 2005”.
The team’s statement continued: “Formula 1 is entering a new era as the sport’s technical regulations change dramatically. This is also a defining moment for Oracle Red Bull Racing, as the season opener in Melbourne will mark the official racing debut of the Red Bull Ford powertrain, as for the first time the team is manufacturing both cars and power units under the same roof.”
“To acknowledge this bold move, the RB22 will wear a livery inspired by Red Bull’s original look in F1. It recalls a more classic Red Bull racing presence, sharpening reflections and increasing contrast under lights, making the traditional elements of the new livery feel richer and more premium at speed.”
Mekies: We’ll follow.
Red Bull team boss Laurent Mequise is embarking on his first full season after taking over from Christian Horner in July last year.
The Frenchman admitted he does not expect to start the season in contention for wins as the team adapts to the challenges of producing its own engine.
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Red Bull team principal Laurent Mequise has admitted he expects the team to be “following” its rivals when the 2026 F1 season begins as the team gears up to produce its own engine.
Ahead of the launch, he told Sky Sports News: “We know there will be some challenges. There will be a lot of sleepless nights and a lot of headaches, but please be patient for the first few months.”
“No one underestimates the scale of the mountain we have to climb. This is the kind of challenge we all want to be a part of and hope to ultimately get to the top of.”
“I think it’s naive, to say the least, to think that if we do everything from scratch with a lot of support from Ford, and then go to our first race, we’ll be on the same level as the people who’ve been doing it for a long time.
“That won’t happen. We will be following in their footsteps and it will be a season with an incredibly high rate of development, both on the chassis side and on the power unit side.”
“We believe in our people, and so the fact that we’ve put together what we believe in is a very strong partner and a very strong team.”
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Max Verstappen finishes the 2025 F1 season impressively, winning the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Red Bull struggled to compete with constructors’ champion McLaren during the 2025 season, but performed extremely well with Verstappen winning six of the last nine grands prix and finishing the season just two points behind Norris.
“Last season, as the final year of the regulation cycle, you could still see how much the team could do in terms of development throughout the season,” he said.
“Well, think of it as triple or quadruple in 2026 in terms of development speed. Certainly in terms of how much we have to learn, we’re taking it step by step, but with his appropriate level of aggressiveness.”
A new era for Red Bull
Not only do Red Bull make their own engines, but for the first time since joining the grid in 2005 they will start the season without Horner and Dr Helmut Marko.
Horner was relieved of his duties as team president and CEO in July. Amidst this, there was a slump in form and, more importantly, off-track unrest amid a battle for control of the Milton Keynes team.
Horner’s departure initially seemed like a good sign for Marko, Red Bull’s long-time motorsport advisor, but the Austrian was also offered the door to leave at the end of the 2025 season.
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Sky Sports’ Craig Slater speaks with Ford CEO Jim Farley about partnering with Red Bull for the 2026 F1 season
Mekies seemed to have an almost instant impact on and off the track, overseeing Verstappen’s return to title contention and calming the noise around the team with a slightly less confrontational approach than his predecessor.
Legendary designer Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull was confirmed in May 2024, but this will be the first car produced without his involvement.
Given the huge number of unknowns heading into the new season, it would be a huge achievement for Red Bull to move closer to title contention.
The question facing teams if they can’t compete at the sharp end is whether Verstappen can wait for them with confidence that good times will come back soon.
When does F1 pre-season testing take place?
With the introduction of new regulations, a strong schedule of three separate test events is planned before the start of the 2026 season.
The first test will take place behind closed doors in Barcelona from January 26th to 30th, followed by two more tests in Bahrain from February 11th to 13th and 18th to 20th.
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On the F1 Show podcast, Karun Chandhok, Bernie Collins and Ted Kravitz discuss their expectations for the 2026 season, which features new regulations.
When was your first F1 race?
The team will then have two weeks to prepare for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6th to 8th.
The first practice session of the season will take place on Friday, March 6th, followed by qualifying on Saturday, March 7th and the opening race on Sunday, March 8th.
Sky Sports F1 lets you watch all 24 race weekends of the 2026 F1 season live. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
