Consistent updates, a predictable car, and smooth operations currently make Racing Bulls the benchmark in the F1 midfield—Red Bull could learn from this
Racing Bulls has been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Faenza-based team is the only one to have scored points with both drivers in the past five Grand Prix. As a result, Racing Bulls has established itself in the battle for the top spot in the midfield and is on par with Alpine.
A key factor is the balance of the VCARB 03. Over the past few years, Racing Bulls has earned a reputation for developing docile and predictable cars that provide drivers with a stable platform.
That this approach works was already evident in 2025 when Yuki Tsunoda moved to Red Bull. At the time, the Japanese driver admitted that he was reluctant to leave the VCARB 02 behind because he had great confidence in his car.
Independent Development Approach
Although Racing Bulls relies on several transferable components from Red Bull—including, for example, the suspension—the team pursues its own approach to vehicle development.
On the track, Red Bull remains clearly ahead of Racing Bulls—there is currently a 69-point gap between the two teams in the Constructors’ Championship—but the RB22 generally has greater potential on a fast lap. The car can maintain a higher minimum speed, especially in slow corners. At Silverstone, Isack Hadjar gained about four-tenths of a second over Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad in the Luffield and Club corners alone.
On the straights, however, there is hardly any difference. The four Red Bull-Ford cars typically achieve top speeds within a range of about two km/h. Racing Bulls is primarily lacking some downforce, while the team is clearly getting the most out of the available package in terms of energy management and powertrain usage.
Continuous updates bring steady progress
Another plus is the continuous development of the car. Since introducing the new underbody in Montreal, along with minor adjustments to the diffuser and underbody edges in Barcelona, Austria, and Silverstone, Racing Bulls has been able to gradually improve its performance. While Red Bull’s update in Spielberg initially brought progress, it didn’t pay off in Silverstone.
Liam Lawson sees the updates as a key reason for the upward trend: ” That’s been working really well lately. Everything we’ve brought to the car has been positive and has worked as expected. Every weekend, we’re finding a little more lap time.”
Regarding the latest update, the New Zealander says: “It was just a small step, but everything is moving in the right direction. We already had a fast car in Austria. That’s helping us build on that now.”
A Strong Start to the Weekend as a Key to Success
He also emphasized that getting off to a good start each race weekend is particularly important: “The key point is that we got off to a very good start right from the first free practice session. We hardly had to change anything and just fine-tuned the setup. Overall, that made our race car significantly faster,” Lawson continued.
This is precisely where Racing Bulls currently differs from Red Bull. While Red Bull has frequently struggled with difficult Fridays this season and had to search for solutions overnight with the help of simulator drivers, Racing Bulls usually manages to get the car into the optimal performance window right from the first practice session. This advantage simplifies the setup process and ensures greater consistency throughout the entire weekend.
Racing Bulls has also proven extremely reliable at race starts recently. After a botched start by Lawson at the season opener in Australia, the team focused specifically on refining their procedures. Since then, Lawson has gained positions in the first few meters of nearly every Grand Prix.
Permane: Calm and Procedures Are Key to the Weekend
Team Principal Alan Permane explains: “We use the same engine, the same transmission, and usually start on the same tires. So the three most important components for the start are identical.”
What matters most, he says, are the procedures and communication with the drivers: “Starts with these engines are difficult. The drivers have to work hard, and we have to keep them calm. Sometimes power suddenly drops during the formation lap. Then they immediately think the worst. We tell them, ‘Don’t worry. The temperatures aren’t in the right range yet, but everything will work out.’ So far, that’s worked out well for us.”
Racing Bulls’ current form shows that success isn’t determined by absolute car performance alone. Constant development, a car that’s easy to handle, and smooth operations at the track as well as in team communication are currently giving the Faenza-based team a noticeable advantage in the tightly packed midfield and, above all, compared to Red Bull.
