Red Bull unveils bold 2026 livery at historic Detroit launch, marking Ford era debut

Red Bull Racing has officially entered its Ford era, unveiling a refreshed livery for the 2026 RB22 that marks the most significant visual transformation of the team in years. The reveal took place in Detroit, Michigan—the spiritual home of Ford—in a launch event that underscored the magnitude of this partnership and the seismic shift ahead for Formula 1's pinnacle team.

The unveiling proved characteristically audacious. Red Bull pilot Martin Sonka tore the covers from the car while flying overhead in a stunt plane, setting the tone for what the team describes as a bold new chapter in its storied history. With four-time world champion Max Verstappen and rookie Isack Hadjar set to pilot the machine, Red Bull is positioning itself for a challenging but potentially transformative campaign.

Design philosophy: honoring heritage while embracing the future

The RB22's new colour scheme represents a deliberate nod to the team's origins. Featuring a blue and black palette with a distinctive jacquard pattern applied in lighter blue, the livery consciously harks back to Red Bull's 2005 Formula 1 debut. After years of matte finishes, the team has returned to a glossy coating, a decision that reflects what the organization describes as sharpening reflections and boosting contrast—a premium aesthetic befitting a team at a crucial inflection point.

Red Bull's statement emphasized the symbolic significance: "To acknowledge this bold move, the RB22 will wear a livery inspired by Red Bull's original look in F1. It harks back to a more classic Red Bull Racing presence, making heritage elements of the new livery feel richer and more premium at speed."

The Ford Partnership: An Unprecedented Challenge

Behind this visual refresh lies a monumental technical undertaking. For the first time in its 20-year existence, Red Bull is building its own power units in-house through Red Bull Powertrains, in collaboration with Ford. Following Honda's departure to Aston Martin, this represents the organization's most ambitious technical project to date.

Ben Hodgkinson, Red Bull Powertrains chief, articulated the magnitude of the challenge during the launch: "The gravity of what that meant took a while to really sink in and trying to find what's turned into 700 people in a short space of time has been really challenging." Yet Hodgkinson emphasized how the audacious nature of the project has attracted precisely the caliber of personnel the team requires, stating: "If you create a really bold and audacious project it only really attracts bold and audacious people, so those people fit the Red Bull culture absolutely like a glove."

Managing expectations in the 2026 landscape

While Red Bull's infrastructure and resources remain elite, team leadership has tempered expectations realistically. The organization acknowledges that arriving at the first race in Melbourne with a competitive package comparable to established power unit manufacturers would be naive. Instead, the team is bracing for an intensive development campaign on both chassis and power unit fronts, with the commitment to iterative improvement throughout the season.

This pragmatic approach—combined with the visual declaration embedded in the new livery—signals Red Bull's readiness to embrace a marathon rather than a sprint in 2026. The throwback design ultimately represents more than aesthetic nostalgia; it symbolizes the team's confidence that, despite the formidable mountain ahead, it possesses the culture, talent, and partnership to eventually reach the summit.