Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Red Bull will become the first F1 team to launch their 2026 car on Thursday in conjunction with Racing Bulls.
Red Bull are revealing their livery in Detroit to mark the beginning of their partnership with Ford. The Milton Keynes outfit have assembled their own power unit for the first time with the help of the American giants.
But even though they have got a jump on their rivals with their launch date, there’s talk that preparations for 2026 aren’t going to plan.
The countdown is on — which 2026 challenger are you most excited to see? 👀
The first pre-season test of the year will take place behind closed doors in Barcelona, starting on 26 January and running for five days.
Red Bull may be lagging behind in 2026 F1 preparations
According to F1-Insider, there’s a rumour circulating ‘in the paddock’ that ‘several teams’ could miss the first day of testing. They’re scrambling to put together a ‘race-ready’ car.
One of these teams is apparently Red Bull, though Ferrari and Alpine are also mentioned.
There was a story in the Italian press this week suggesting that Fred Vasseur went ‘berserk’ when informed that Ferrari were behind schedule.
A lot has changed at Red Bull since 2023 – should we be worried about them?
Meanwhile, Alpine may have to postpone a planned shakedown of their 2026 car because they’re still waiting on key engine information from new suppliers Mercedes.
It’s worth stressing, as per the report, that there is no firm evidence to support the rumours and that there has been no ‘official’ comment from any of the teams involved. Still, the chatter is intriguing.
Did Red Bull staff already suspect they were in trouble?
Red Bull have reportedly altered their bonus scheme for 2026, lowering the criteria from top two to top five.
While this may be a gesture of goodwill from Laurent Mekies, who starts his first full season in charge, it could also indicate that the objectives have shifted at Red Bull.
The team have repeatedly said that they do not expect to be on the same level as established engine manufacturers like Mercedes and Ferrari, at least straightaway.
There are suggestions that, alongside Mercedes, Red Bull are exploiting a loophole in the rules that allows them to run with a higher fuel compression ratio on track, gaining significant horsepower.
Fans will have their first meaningful glimpse of the RB22 on track at the second pre-season test in Bahrain, which begins on 11 February.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
