Racing Bulls continue to go from strength to strength, particularly in the Constructors’ Championship. Thanks to another double points finish at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone—the team’s fourth in a row—they have closed to within just one point of Alpine in the battle for fifth place. Even the drivers now describe the VCARB03 as the strongest midfield car on the grid, the result of an outstanding development programme focused on increasing aerodynamic downforce while maintaining excellent efficiency.
Among the standout stories of the British Grand Prix weekend was Racing Bulls’ continued emergence as one of the biggest success stories in Formula 1’s midfield. After setting a new team record in Austria by scoring points with both cars in three consecutive races for the first time, the Faenza-based outfit followed it up with another double top-10 finish at Silverstone.
Sixth and seventh places were hugely significant, not only because they reinforced the competitiveness of the VCARB03, but also because they allowed Racing Bulls to close the gap to Alpine in the Constructors’ standings to just a single point. Aside from the missed opportunities in Barcelona, where the team arguably deserved a stronger result, the step forward delivered by the latest upgrades has now become impossible to ignore.
From the very beginning of the season, it was clear that this year’s Formula 1 championship would largely be decided by in-season development, and that prediction has proved entirely accurate. Although the VCARB03 was already a competitive package from the opening rounds—scoring points with at least one car in each of the first three Grands Prix—the further the season has progressed, especially after the major upgrade package introduced in Canada, the more Racing Bulls have established themselves as genuine midfield leaders.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect is the versatility of the Faenza-built machine. Whether tackling high-speed corners, slow technical sections, or aggressive kerbs on circuits such as Montreal, the VCARB03 has consistently delivered strong performances. Both drivers are fully aware that, at least for now, they have what is arguably the best car in the Formula 1 midfield.
The Canadian upgrade package made the VCARB03 an even more complete car
“I think, once again, we had the fastest midfield car,” Arvid Lindblad explained after Saturday’s qualifying session.
“A big upgrade package arrived in Montreal. It was a fairly extensive update, and it’s extremely encouraging to see that it has worked on every type of circuit: Monaco’s low-speed corners, tracks where kerb performance is crucial, and high-speed layouts as well. I can only thank the team because they’re doing an incredible job.”
After the first development package introduced in Miami—which had already been in preparation before the forced break caused by the cancellation of the two April races in the Middle East—the second phase of upgrades arrived in Canada. That package included a revised floor, one of the most sensitive aerodynamic components on a modern Formula 1 car, together with further modifications around the rear of the car.
Those upgrades enabled Racing Bulls to generate significantly more aerodynamic downforce without sacrificing efficiency, and that has become one of the defining characteristics of the current generation of Formula 1 cars. It is no secret that the VCARB03 benefits from a very competitive power unit that provides excellent performance, but adding more cornering downforce—particularly to counter Audi in an area where the German manufacturer still faces an engine deficit—has been the key factor allowing Racing Bulls to be competitive on virtually every circuit.
Much like Haas earlier in the season, Racing Bulls’ biggest achievement has not simply been generating additional downforce, but creating a car that remains exceptionally well balanced across every type of corner. That broader operating window gives engineers far greater setup flexibility, making the VCARB03 effective on a wide variety of circuits. Alpine, by comparison, still struggles to achieve the right balance through fast corners, forcing the team into difficult setup compromises.
“The real test was Barcelona because we finally had the chance to properly evaluate the high-speed balance, as we hadn’t had a real reference since introducing this major upgrade package in Canada. And the feedback was extremely positive,” Liam Lawson explained after Silverstone.
Lindblad continues to impress with his consistency
Silverstone turned into an extremely positive weekend not only for Liam Lawson, but also for Arvid Lindblad, who was contesting his first home Grand Prix. Before the Safety Car was deployed following Max Verstappen’s retirement, the British driver was running in eighth place, around five seconds behind his teammate. Interestingly, he had actually lost that position on the opening lap, partly because of an energy deployment issue linked to the characteristics of Formula 1’s current regulations.
“Unfortunately, I had another deployment issue in Turn 6, and Liam got past me. It’s a little frustrating, to be honest, because I think without that problem I would have stayed ahead of him for the whole race. I’m a bit disappointed about that, but it’s still been a very positive day for the team,” Lindblad explained.
In reality, on the opening lap the young Briton found himself trapped in Oscar Piastri’s dirty air, generating significant understeer to the point where he had to lift off the throttle to avoid running off the circuit. That, in turn, triggered a reaction from the energy deployment system, allowing not only his teammate but also others to gain an advantage.
“That’s just the way it is this year, and honestly it’s the first time something like this has happened to us. It’s just a bit frustrating because the team had told me everything would be sorted. They told me not to lift in Turn 5, and that if I did I’d have to press the boost button.”
“I was planning to take it flat out, but I was completely in Oscar’s dirty air and was about to run off the track, so I made a small lift and got back on the throttle. At that point I had no power left. Even pressing the boost button was too late. That’s just how it is.”
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