Anthony Davidson has ‘never’ seen an ‘intriguing’ thing on Liam Lawson’s new Racing Bulls car before

Follow us on Google Discover

Racing Bulls have left Anthony Davidson with lots of questions about their new car for the 2026 F1 regulations, after seeing Liam Lawson shake the VCARB 03 down at Imola.

Lawson had his first go behind the wheel of the VCARB 03 as Racing Bulls held a shakedown at Imola this Tuesday. The Kiwi and rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad also hit the circuit again this Wednesday, as Racing Bulls held a filming day to test the fundamentals of their new car.

Lindblad had a small incident during Racing Bulls’ shakedown at Imola, which did not get off to a great start. Racing Bulls struggled to start the new Red Bull engine that will power both crews in 2026, with Red Bull now an F1 engine constructor after Honda joined Aston Martin.

Weather conditions also limited Racing Bulls’ run plan across both outings, with ice delaying the start of Wednesday’s session. Of the 200km that F1 teams can complete during a filming day, Racing Bulls covered around 170km as Lawson and Lindblad posted a total of 33 laps.

Prove me wrong: Liam Lawson can show he deserves another chance at Red Bull

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Anthony Davidson has ‘never’ seen an air intake like the one on Liam Lawson’s 2026 Racing Bulls car

Lawson’s initial outing on Tuesday revealed the first real look at Racing Bulls’ car built under the 2026 F1 regulations. A lot of F1 fans and Karun Chandhok quickly noticed the “massive” air intake on Racing Bulls’ 2026 car, as it looks considerably bigger than the team’s renders.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the 2026 F1 engine and aero regulations

Anthony Davidson is also “intrigued” by the air intake on the Racing Bulls VCARB 03, as the sheer size of it raises questions about the need to cool the first Red Bull Powertrains engine built in partnership with Ford. Davidson has never seen an air intake as big as Racing Bulls’.

“The one that’s intrigued me the most has been the Racing Bulls,” Davidson said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

“With the huge air scoop it’s got, the air intake, I wonder if this is to, as part of the new regulations, to pass the crash test, with an awful lot more loading going through the roll hoop structure.

“I wonder if it’s to do with that, or it’s the Red Bull-Ford powertrain, where they’ve done something different with the air intake, who knows, but it’s huge. I’ve never seen it like that before.”

In addition to the 2026 regulations making cars smaller and lighter than in the ground-effect era from 2022 to 2025, F1 has increased the roll hoop load test from 16G to 20G. F1 has also changed the impact structure by requiring a two-stage nose that will not snap off on impact.

Arvid Lindblad has a ‘golden opportunity’ at Racing Bulls next to Liam Lawson

The 2026 F1 regulations mark the biggest overhaul of the rulebook in history, with new tyre, chassis, aerodynamic and engine rules. The engine rules are at the core of the changes, with power units featuring a 50/50 electrical/combustion power split and using sustainable fuels.

READ MORE: Who is 2026 Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad? Everything you need to know

How worried should Racing Bulls be about Arvid Lindblad’s Imola spin on his first lap in the 2026 car?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Davidson believes the end of the ground-effect era from 2022-2025 also makes it a “golden opportunity” for Lindblad to debut in F1 for Racing Bulls in 2026. The 18-year-old can get up to speed in a midfield team and compare himself to Lawson, who has 35 races to his name.

“It’s a great team to get into,” Davidson added. “You’re out of the limelight, you can do your learning in that way, against still a relative rookie in Liam Lawson.

“And he’s got himself to measure against with Liam there, but you’re really under the radar, aren’t you, in Racing Bulls, and that team exists for a reason to bring on and nurture their young drivers. So, it’s a great opportunity for him.

“[Racing Bulls] should be midfield, I should imagine, once again. So, yeah, the new regulations, new cars, it’s a leveller. And for somebody just coming out of F2, it’s a golden opportunity to hit the ground running.”