First Look Of Racing Bulls' VCARB 03 Captured At Imola During Shakedown | WATCH

The 2026 Formula 1 season officially moved from concept to concrete last week as Racing Bulls joined sister team Red Bull in unveiling their new look — and their future — in Detroit.

It marked the beginning of a new chapter: 2026 will be the first season Red Bull Ford Powertrains supplies engines as a full manufacturer.

But the real story came days later in Italy.

On Tuesday morning at a cold, wet Imola, the VCARB 03 finally turned a wheel in anger.

🚨 RACING BULLS ON TRACK!

Another day, another 2026 car breaks cover…

📸 Federico Basile Ph @ FB-PhotoImages pic.twitter.com/0XahfX0xRg

— The Race (@wearetherace) January 20, 2026

La Racing Bulls VCARB03 in uscita dalla Rivazza 2 a velocità normale e in slow motion. (📹 Courtesy of: Luca Lee Josh) #F1 #RacingBulls

#VCARB03 #Imola #Rivazza pic.twitter.com/lL9Ef42HkJ

— RobertoF1 (@robertofunoat) January 20, 2026

While the Detroit reveal featured a showcar, this shakedown offered the first proper glimpse of Racing Bulls’ 2026 machine — complete with a distinctive new airbox and packaging shaped by F1’s incoming chassis and engine regulations.

After the popularity of last year’s all-white design, Racing Bulls have stuck with the theme for 2026 — this time sharpening it up with blue accents flowing along the chassis, a subtle nod to Ford’s arrival.

Lawson handled driving duties for the team’s ‘Demonstration Event’, completing the regulation-limited 15km (three laps) on full wet tyres amid light rain. A few minor teething issues cropped up early, but the car ran cleanly enough to tick the most important box: it’s alive.

Those laps were significant for another reason too: they marked the first on-track running of Red Bull Powertrains’ own engine as a manufacturer.

Racing Bulls will be back at Imola on Wednesday for a full filming day, where teams are allowed up to 200km of running on Pirelli demonstration tyres. Lawson and Lindblad are expected to split duties, giving both drivers valuable early mileage before pre-season testing begins.

Next stop: Barcelona. Official testing runs from January 26–30, where the VCARB 03 will finally face proper scrutiny — and where Racing Bulls will learn how their Ford-powered future stacks up against the rest of the grid.