The Racing Bulls Formula 1 team currently sits seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, just four points behind fourth-placed Haas. The Italian-structured squad is satisfied with its start to the season, despite the extended development of the 2025 car having impacted the initial competitiveness of the 2026 project. Nevertheless, the team remains optimistic about recovering performance through a series of planned upgrades, supported by the strong performance of the Red Bull power unit. At the same time, away from the track, the team is continuing infrastructure work at Milton Keynes with the goal of further expanding and strengthening its UK facility.
Development plan scheduled up to the summer break
The VCARB machine has enjoyed a solid start to the championship, with qualifying performances generally stronger than race pace so far. However, Team Principal Alan Permane remains unconcerned, having always been aware that the 2026 project would begin on a slightly delayed development curve. He explained:
“[Last year] we developed the car until quite late. We knew we would be slightly on the back foot at the beginning, but I expect what we have coming will move us further forward in the midfield battle.”
In Florida, the upgrades originally planned for April will make their debut, although they are expected to be partially replaced after just one race. “We had a significant update planned for Bahrain, which we will now obviously see in Miami. We had another one scheduled for Canada, so those will be two major steps in quick succession. There was no way to bring the Montreal update forward. It is a slightly unusual situation: we will bring a major development and then new parts will effectively replace it almost immediately.”
Permane also confirmed that development of the VCARB 03 will not stop at Montreal. “There will be small steps forward almost every race. We have another two or three major upgrade packages already planned, after which it becomes harder to predict. We have a plan up until the summer break. I am optimistic we can stay in the midfield fight.”
The impact and importance of upgrades
Racing Bulls believes that because the 2026 project is still relatively young, there is significant room for performance gains through upgrades. Liam Lawson also reflected on this development dynamic:
“When you are still at the beginning [of the regulations], you see major updates that can make a big difference. Last year it was harder to find gains and we were bringing fewer developments, which might only give you a small amount of aerodynamic load. Even finding a few hundredths of a second would still have been a good package. This year, instead, we expect to bring much more significant updates during the season and hopefully at a much faster rate.”
The New Zealand driver is clear about what the VCARB 03 still needs:
“I think we are simply missing a bit of speed and downforce. Once we find that, I believe we will be in a better position.”
However, Lawson also warned that increasing aerodynamic load could create challenges in power unit management:
“Often, when you end up being faster in the corners, you can actually be slower overall on the lap because you have used more battery energy. Finding that balance is difficult. I think for our car this has been less of an issue compared to other teams. The front-running teams struggle more because they carry more load and go faster. It will definitely become more relevant for us as we find more downforce, or at least that was my experience in Japan.”
Power unit receives positive evaluation
One of the most encouraging developments for Racing Bulls is the performance of the Red Bull-Ford power unit, which initially came with many uncertainties given it is still a relatively new project. Team Principal Alan Permane commented:
“It has worked very well overall. We are not complaining and we are constantly learning. Every time the car runs, we gain more understanding. We are working with new people. One advantage we have is that the powertrain engineers are integrated into our offices and we work very closely with them.”
Lindblad also praised the Milton Keynes-built power unit, while acknowledging the strength of the competition:
“The engine has generally been good, but there is still room for improvement. In Melbourne our unit was performing very well, but once the Mercedes-powered teams started to understand things better, they made a step forward.”
This particularly refers to Alpine, which has been a direct competitor to Racing Bulls in the opening three races. However, Permane is not surprised:
“We knew they would have the Mercedes power unit and expected them to be in a strong position. We also knew they had not developed their car last year. They accepted they would finish last and invested all their time into the 2026 project. I think they have done a good job and they are very fast.”
Despite this, the Team Principal remains confident about staying in the fight with Alpine, Haas and Audi:
“I remain optimistic that we can keep up, if not outperform, the other midfield teams. As I said, I think we are starting slightly further back, but I believe we can do a good job.”
Expansion works at Milton Keynes
While Racing Bulls already benefits from a solid operational base, part of its progress comes from the development of the VCARB 03 at the relatively new Milton Keynes facility, which has been active for just over a year but is already undergoing further expansion.
Permane explained:
“The new Milton Keynes facility is fantastic compared to where we were in Bicester. It is difficult to quantify with numbers, but staff wellbeing and the working environment are very important. There is no doubt it is a major step forward. We have not finalised the expansion plans yet, but we intend to develop it further.”
“Right now we are moving our CFD data archive, which is currently based in Italy in Milan, to Milton Keynes. It is a process with challenges, but it will speed things up for the staff working there. This will make the CFD engineers very happy, as they will no longer have to wait so long for results due to transfer times. The CFD cluster will be located in the same building. This will be the next phase of improving the Milton Keynes facility.”
The relocation of CFD data does not reduce the importance of the Italian base, as the aerodynamic department has always been based in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the Faenza headquarters will continue to host the remaining design offices and, most importantly, the production departments, which are under significant pressure to deliver the upgrades Racing Bulls is eagerly awaiting.
The synergy between the production power in Faenza and the technical expansion in Milton Keynes serves as the backbone of the team’s 2026 campaign. As Racing Bulls continues to refine its infrastructure and aerodynamic philosophy, the team remains poised to capitalize on the rapid development curve of these new regulations, ensuring they stay firmly in the hunt for the top of the midfield.
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