Racing Bulls has introduced a substantially smaller airbox on Liam Lawson’s VCARB 03 for the 2026 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix. The revised engine intake reduces aerodynamic drag, improves airflow towards the rear wing and incorporates a different cooling layout around the Red Bull-Ford DM01 power unit.
Only one complete version of the new package has been produced in time for Spa-Francorchamps, meaning Liam Lawson will test the solution first. Arvid Lindblad will continue using the original specification in Belgium before receiving the same upgrade at the Hungarian Grand Prix the following week.
Racing Bulls targets further progress at Spa
Racing Bulls is aiming to continue its encouraging run of form at Spa-Francorchamps. The Faenza-based team occupies sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship with 59 points and now trails fifth-placed Alpine, currently the leading team outside the established front-running group, by only one point.
The technical department led by Tim Goss and recently strengthened by the arrival of former Aston Martin engineer Dan Fallows wants to extend that sequence of positive results in Belgium. An inspection of the cars being assembled inside the Spa garages revealed a significant change that appeared only on Liam Lawson’s VCARB 03.
The airbox revision is one of the most substantial changes among the Formula 1 upgrades introduced at Spa-Francorchamps. Its size makes the development particularly noticeable when compared with the original VCARB 03 bodywork.
Liam Lawson receives smaller VCARB 03 airbox
Liam Lawson will use the new, significantly smaller airbox during Friday practice at the Belgian Grand Prix. Arvid Lindblad’s car will retain the larger intake because Racing Bulls was able to complete only one kit featuring the revised cooling system before travelling to Spa.
The second kit is scheduled to become available for the following race in Hungary. Racing Bulls will therefore use the Belgian weekend to gather its first track data with the new configuration before potentially running the package on both cars in Budapest.
Racing Bulls began the season with the most visually imposing engine intake on the Formula 1 grid. Its unusually large dimensions attracted attention immediately and made the upper bodywork of the VCARB 03 easy to distinguish from its rivals.
Original airbox featured two prominent side sections
The original design was built around a triangular central intake defined by the roll hoop, which feeds air towards the compressor of the Red Bull-Ford DM01 power unit. On either side were two prominent ear-shaped openings with considerable vertical extension and a crescent profile that curved downwards.
Racing Bulls has now reduced the airflow requirement in the upper section, allowing the VCARB 03 air intake to adopt an almost square shape. Reducing the airbox’s frontal area should provide a noticeable improvement in aerodynamic efficiency by decreasing drag and limiting the obstruction created above the engine cover.
This is particularly valuable at Spa, where the long straights place a premium on efficiency. The team must still provide sufficient cooling and airflow to the power unit, but any reduction in the size of the intake can help increase straight-line performance when the internal packaging allows it.
Smaller intake improves airflow to the rear wing
The previous airbox had a substantially larger cross-section than the solutions used by Racing Bulls’ competitors. One of its main disadvantages was that it obstructed a greater portion of the rear wing, disrupting some of the airflow travelling towards the aerodynamic surface.
With the smaller design, more of the rear wing can operate in cleaner airflow and therefore generate load more efficiently. The benefit is not limited to lower drag at the front of the intake, as the revised bodywork can also improve the performance of the car’s rear aerodynamic package.
The modification is considerably more complex than simply reducing the airflow passing through the air scoop. Racing Bulls has also changed the positioning of the auxiliary radiators, which had previously been installed mainly above the six-cylinder engine developed at Milton Keynes.
Red Bull-Ford DM01 packaging revised
Rearranging these cooling elements has allowed Racing Bulls to reduce the dimensions of the upper intake without sacrificing the thermal requirements of the power unit. It represents a significant packaging exercise because the location of radiators, ducts and internal components directly influences the external shape of a Formula 1 car.
Further images gathered during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend should reveal more details about the changes required around the Red Bull-Ford DM01 installation. According to the FIA assessment referenced in the original report, the power unit currently features the strongest internal combustion engine.
The smaller airbox demonstrates Racing Bulls’ determination to maintain its development momentum and move closer to Alpine in the championship. Liam Lawson’s running at Spa will provide the first indication of whether the revised cooling package can deliver the expected reduction in drag and improvement in rear-wing efficiency before both cars adopt the solution in Hungary.
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