Red Bull officially kicked off its 2026 season in Detroit with the unveiling of the new livery for the cars driven by Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. The event took place on the night of January 16 at the Ford headquarters, which returns to Formula 1 this year thanks to a new collaboration with the Milton Keynes team.
Red Bull and Ford have worked together to create a completely new power unit from scratch. From this season onward, the Milton Keynes team will use a fully in-house engine, replacing the previous Honda units.
Max Verstappen reacts to the new livery
The Red Bull and VCARB event was designed to reveal the new livery to the world. To mark a fresh start, the team abandoned the style of recent years and created a completely new design that also pays homage to the past. The dominant color is now a bright, glossy blue, replacing the matte tones used in previous seasons.
Once the covers were removed from the new RB22, Max Verstappen appeared very enthusiastic, saying: “I think it’s much better.” According to the four-time world champion, the color chosen by Red Bull for the 2026 F1 season had been a personal request of his for several years: “Yes, I’ve been asking for it for a while. So, it’s fantastic.”
Max Verstappen added: “I like the shine, I like the blue. It’s my favorite color. I like the lines of the Red Bull logo. It’s much fresher.” Compared to previous years, the Milton Keynes team has also reintroduced white lines around the lettering and the symbol, moving away from yellow accents.
The 2026 Red Bull livery is more than just a fresh coat of paint; it is a direct reflection of Max Verstappen’s growing influence within the team. By granting his long-standing request for a glossy blue finish, Red Bull has not only refreshed its brand identity for the Ford era but has also ensured its star driver feels a personal connection to the new project. As the team moves away from the matte look of the past decade, this “fresher” aesthetic signals a psychological reset for a squad determined to reclaim its place at the top of the podium with a power unit built entirely on its own terms.
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