Racing Bulls rivals now expected to copy ‘brilliant idea’ seen on Liam Lawson’s F1 car

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Liam Lawson completed 88 laps for Racing Bulls on the first day of Formula 1’s Barcelona Shakedown.

Lawson’s leaked lap time of a 1:21.513 ranked him sixth out of the nine drivers who took to the track on Monday. At this early stage, mileage is a far bigger priority, particularly for a team using Red Bull’s first-ever power unit.

This wasn’t Lawson’s first time on track – he drove the VCARB03 at Imola last week – but it was the first session with unrestricted mileage on 2026 Pirelli tyres.

How do you rate the 2026 Racing Bulls livery out of 10? 👇

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Racing Bulls finished sixth in last year’s championship, matching the team’s record (2019, 2021). Arvid Lindblad replaces Red Bull signing Isack Hadjar for 2026, although he isn’t expected to drive until Wednesday at the earliest.

Racing Bulls nose at Barcelona F1 shakedown is a ‘creative achievement’

A report from Motorsport Italy notes that Racing Bulls are already using a ‘very different’ nose from the Emilia Romagna outing. The new model is narrower and more rounded.

Chief technical officer Tim Goss has been credited with the new ‘double flap’, a ‘brilliant idea’ and a ‘creative achievement’ that should increase front downforce.

Journalist Franco Nugnes expects rival teams to start exploring the same ‘development path’ before the end of testing.

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

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When the first images of the car on track emerged, Racing Bulls’ large airbox left experts stunned. It’s clear that the team have been bold with their 2026 concept.

Racing Bulls recently announced that former Red Bull and Aston Martin engineer Dan Fallows would join the team in the role of technical director, further strengthening the design department.

What Liam Lawson said after the first day of F1 testing

Lawson was one of the drivers who brought out a red flag during the first day of running, but he said this kind of hiccup was to be ‘expected’. Overall, the day was still a success for Racing Bulls.

Testing tends to be more useful for teams than drivers, but this year it’s particularly important for Lawson and co. to adapt to the new handling characteristics of the cars.

“It’s very interesting at this point – new cars, new power units and very, very different to drive, so for us just adjusting at the moment, but so far all good,” Lawson told F1’s official website.

“We did a good amount of laps today – obviously we learned a lot, we had a few little things along the way which are expected on day one, but I think [we’re] in a decent place.”

Lawson’s use of the simulator before testing was restricted because Racing Bulls have to pay to use Red Bull’s equipment. They must be wary of complying with the cost cap.