Racing Bulls made its on-track debut yesterday at Imola with the new VCARB03, completing the shakedown of the first car of the new generational era.
Racing Bulls surprised fans by taking to the track yesterday with the brand-new VCARB03, which completed a shakedown at the Imola circuit. The Faenza-based team continued today with the 200 kilometres available for the filming day, effectively completing the debut of the first single-seater of the new post–ground effect era.
The render shown during the early presentation already hinted at several interesting new features, but the car seen on track reveals further refinements, offering an initial glimpse of what we can expect to see during the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Push-rod layout confirmed
As far as the suspension layout is concerned, Racing Bulls has adopted a push-rod configuration at both the front and the rear. In 2025, the team had opted for a pull-rod at the front and a push-rod at the rear. The trend among the new-generation cars appears to be moving back towards push-rod solutions, mainly for aerodynamic reasons, which differ significantly with this generation of single-seaters.
The absence of aerodynamic channels has pushed teams back towards push-rod layouts, which offer easier access during setup adjustments and free up more space beneath the chassis. There is also limited effort to increase the anti-dive angle of the suspension arms, which appear almost perfectly aligned.
The rake setup also makes a return, with the rear of the car higher than the front in order to fully exploit the load generated by the diffuser. The 2026 cars seem to mark a welcome return to the past and should simplify the search for the ideal setup, after years in which teams often struggled to find the correct operating window.
Aggressive aerodynamics aimed at outwash
The front wing retains a design similar to the one shown at the launch, but features a reshaped endplate and a vertical flap on the diveplane. These changes are clearly aimed at directing airflow outward. The team has confirmed the use of two lateral actuators for active aerodynamics, a solution that should reduce aerodynamic disturbance, albeit at the cost of increased weight compared to a single central actuator. The latter appears to be the most efficient solution and is likely to become the preferred choice across the grid.
The air intake above the driver’s head immediately stands out, having grown significantly in size to supply part of the electrical systems. This intake is complemented by the air inlets in the sidepods, which contribute to cooling the Ford power unit. The sidepods themselves are smaller in volume and return to a downwash-style design reminiscent of the pre-2022 era, with the reintroduction of the so-called “coke bottle” area, essential for improving airflow towards the rear of the car.
An angled stay for the floor also appears, with the floor returning to a flat configuration this season. The new bargeboards, simplified by the regulations, closely follow what was shown in the renders, although the team is expected to adopt different solutions on the final version of the car. It is reasonable to expect significantly different shapes for the front wing as well, which for now is still missing some elements such as the upper diveplane, along with the final engine cover and sidepods.
The Faenza-based team has clearly chosen not to reveal all of its cards for 2026, taking to the track with what is still a very early version of the VCARB03. Alongside Racing Bulls, Audi, Cadillac and Alpine have also completed their initial running without encountering any obvious issues. The 2026 season promises to be extremely complex for everyone, but the early signs appear decidedly encouraging.
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