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F1 teams have continued the development of their 2026 F1 cars during the five-week break between the Suzuka and Miami rounds, and Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane has shared his optimism for the VCARB03’s new upgrades.
As we have come to expect from Racing Bulls in recent years, the Faenza-based outfit has built another F1 car that can be considered as one of the most user-friendly cars on the grid, despite not being one of the frontrunners.
Engineers from the Italian constructor have abided by a strict development philosophy that has allowed them to maximise their package, with Liam Lawson’s Chinese GP data suggesting that Racing Bulls are getting more out of their engine than the works Red Bull team.
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Milton Keynes’ sister team currently sits just two points behind them in the constructors’ standings after three rounds of racing now in the books, and they have enjoyed having at least one car inside the top 10 during all four races across both formats this year.
However, to make another step forward in the championship, Racing Bulls need to sort out the issue of their F1 car being 14kg overweight.
The VCARB03 has been reported to be the fourth-heaviest car on the grid, so it’s no surprise to hear the team’s top brass reveal that aerodynamic upgrades are currently in the works.
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Alan Permane reveals ‘positive’ feedback from Racing Bulls engineers regarding new upgrades
Speaking via Motorsport Italia, Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane outlined how the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds of the 2026 F1 season has affected their development roadmap for the VCARB03.
“The package of improvements you’ll see in Miami, a fairly significant update, was initially planned for the Bahrain weekend and development of the next update, scheduled for Montreal, has continued in parallel,” he said.
“We’ll have a close sequence of two updates. It wasn’t possible to combine them because the updates intended for the Canadian Grand Prix wouldn’t have been ready for the trip to the United States.”
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With Lawson currently enjoying lead driver status at the Faenza-based team due to experience, the New Zealander would likely have been rewarded with new upgrades before Arvid Lindblad because of the quick turnaround time between race weekends.
However, Permane confirmed that the five-week break will allow engineers to manufacture enough new components for both Lawson and Lindblad.
“We’ll have more parts available,” Permane confirmed. “With the original schedule, we would have arrived in Bahrain with two, maximum three sets of new components, while in Miami, we’ll have enough supplies for both cars.”
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After sifting through the data that came from the recent simulations, Permane is optimistic that the Italian constructor has made another step forward with their 2026 F1 car.
He added, “I spoke briefly with the lead engineer, and the feedback is positive. You’ll see all the aerodynamic updates in Miami, and the same will happen in Montreal. We have some good news coming.”
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