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Red Bull and Racing Bulls opened Formula 1’s launch season with their challengers for the upcoming 2026 campaign, and fans are all saying the same thing about Max Verstappen’s new ride.
In an event located at the heart of Ford’s headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, fans were treated to a very first look at one of the liveries they will see on track during F1’s new era of regulations this year.
Both Red Bull and Racing Bulls launched their cars on the same evening, with both of the new paint jobs causing quite the stir on social media.
While Racing Bulls went for a fairly similar look to their previous challenger, Red Bull are currently the talk of the town due to their first new look since before Max Verstappen joined the squad in 2016.
- READ MORE: Red Bull’s ‘messaging’ about their 2026 F1 car is now changing and Max Verstappen will be delighted
What are your thoughts on Red Bull’s first new livery since 2016?
Let us know in the comments below!
F1 fans are overjoyed at Red Bull finally showcasing a new livery after 10 years
After the covers were pulled off Red Bull’s 2026 challenger, fans quickly took to social media to discuss the new paint job for Verstappen and his new teammate, Isack Hadjar.
The new look marks the first time since 2016 that the Milton Keynes-based team have altered their livery, and fans couldn’t be more satisfied with it.
One fan on Reddit noted that it is also Verstappen’s first car with a different paint job, commenting, “I just realised it’s been so long since Red Bull changed their livery that Max has never driven one with a glossy finish before.”
Another shared a similar sentiment, writing, “This is almost a fully new Red Bull livery, we haven’t had a new one in ages,” with a different fan noting the time difference with, “Finally doing something new after 10 years…”
One Reddit user admitted it wasn’t their favourite, but was still happy with the new look nonetheless, posting, “Okay, that owns. The pattern isn’t my favourite up close, but the overall look is a welcome change.”
Another was just happy that they had changed anything at all, commenting, “This is almost a fully new Red Bull livery, we haven’t had a new one in ages.”
The metallic blue finish reminded some fans of Sebastian Vettel’s days at the team, with one fan writing, “Feels like a great balance between recent years and Seb’s days. I’m just pumped that they changed literally anything. The numbers, in particular, look great.”
The overriding sentiment over the new colourway was just pure disbelief, with one fan rounding it out nicely with, “Who would’ve thought RedBull changes their livery?”
How many podiums and wins will Isack Hadjar achieve in his first season as a Red Bull driver?
Max Verstappen has finally got his wish for a Sebastian Vettel-inspired livery
The nod to Vettel’s era is sure to put a smile on at least one of their drivers, with Verstappen previously calling for Red Bull to go back to their roots of a metallic paint job that shows off a sparkling blue.
The Dutchman spoke candidly of the exhausting use of matte in F1 liveries in recent years, and explicitly asked for his team to produce a shiny paint job for 2025. While he didn’t get it last year, this year finally houses some changes.
Another new detail in the launch of Verstappen’s newest F1 car is the fact that it displays #3, instead of #33 or #1, which we have been accustomed to seeing on the 28-year-old’s cars.
Verstappen switched to #3 this year following approval from F1 and Daniel Ricciardo, as per the guidelines that suggest that a driver must seek the green light to use a number that has been claimed by another within the same two-year period.
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