Here it is: the first official Formula 1 car for the 2026 season – the Red Bull RB22. The Milton Keynes-based team unveiled the new single-seater during an event in Detroit, presenting the car that Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar will race in the upcoming season.
After a 2025 season without a world championship – despite securing eight race victories – Red Bull is determined to fight for both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles in 2026. The RB22 is the first Red Bull car created without the trio that made the team famous: Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, and Helmut Marko. This time, the project is led by ex-Ferrari engineer Laurent Mekies, who takes the reins of the team as Technical Director for the first season.
First images of the new car
The RB22 was revealed in a nighttime presentation in Detroit, held jointly with the junior team, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. As has become customary, Red Bull presented the new livery on a digital render rather than the physical car itself, following a tradition the team has used in recent years. Even from this render, fans can already notice a clear return to the team’s historic visual identity.
This 2026 launch represents a revolution not only on the technical side but also in terms of colors and design. The “return to the past” is evident in the new livery, which reflects the historic Red Bull color scheme. At the same time, it is also a “return to the future”: the Austrian team has celebrated its new partnership with Ford, creating a livery that promises to be one of the most striking of the 2026 season.
The unveiling of the RB22 in Detroit marks the definitive end of the old guard at Red Bull and the high-energy beginning of the Ford era. While the team chose to keep its true aerodynamic innovations under wraps by showing only a render, the vibrant return to its classic colors and the leadership of Laurent Mekies signal a team that is reinventing itself to conquer the 2026 regulatory shift. As Max Verstappen prepares to lead this new chapter alongside rookie Isack Hadjar, the pressure will be on to prove that Red Bull can remain a dominant force even without its original founding architects.
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