Red Bull will unveil their 2026 car in Detroit this week alongside Racing Bulls, becoming the first team to reveal their new design for the season.
The launch also marks the beginning of Red Bull’s new partnership with Ford, who have played a key role in developing their first-ever power unit. The unveiling will take place at Ford’s global headquarters, highlighting just how much weight this collaboration carries on both sides of the Atlantic.
While Red Bull are ahead of the pack in terms of revealing their 2026 car, there are some early concerns about how smoothly things are going behind the scenes.
The initial pre-season test is scheduled to take place behind closed doors at Barcelona from 26 January and will last five days. Teams won’t get a proper look at each other until all squads hit Fiorano for the three-day group test starting on 2 February. The season officially kicks off with lights out in Bahrain on 8 March.
Red Bull may be behind in F1 preparations for 2026
F1-Insider has reported a rumour going around the paddock that “several teams” might not be ready for the opening day of testing, as they’re still working to put together a race-ready car.
Red Bull is said to be one of those teams, along with Ferrari and Alpine also mentioned.
There was also a story in the Italian press suggesting Fred Vasseur was furious after learning Ferrari had fallen behind schedule.
Alpine, meanwhile, might have to delay a planned shakedown of their 2026 car due to waiting on crucial engine data from new supplier Mercedes.
The report notes there’s no solid evidence backing these rumours and no official word from any of the teams involved. Even so, it’s certainly generating some conversation.
Concerns grow around Red Bull’s 2026 F1 build-up
Red Bull appear to have revised their staff bonus structure for the upcoming season, shifting the target from a top-two finish to a top-five.
Whether this is simply a gesture of goodwill from new boss Laurent Mekies or a reflection of lowered expectations, it’s hard not to read something into it. Expectations at Red Bull are always high, but there seems to be some realism creeping in about the early part of this engine era.
The team have already said they don’t expect to match the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari right out of the gate. Building up to that level is going to take time.
In terms of technical direction, there are rumours that both Mercedes and Red Bull might be making use of a regulatory loophole allowing for higher fuel compression ratios during races, which could give them a notable power advantage over rivals.
The RB22 will hit the track in Bahrain on 11 February, giving fans their first proper look at what Red Bull have put together for 2026.
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