Red Bull and Ford have held a joint presentation
The joint presentation held by Red Bull and Ford in Detroit took place in the historic building of Michigan Central Station, the former central railway terminal of the state, and the ceremony began early in the morning Baku time.
In keeping with tradition, the event opened with an impressive video dedicated to the American automotive giant’s partnership with the Formula 1 team.
This was followed by an appearance on stage by Bill Ford, the great-grandson of the company’s founder, Henry Ford, who welcomed the guests before the main part of the presentation began.
The host of the ceremony introduced the audience to team principal Laurent Mekies and Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley. Taking turns, they spoke about the serious challenges undertaken by the partners in this new technological alliance and the demanding tasks that have been addressed during the development of the new power unit produced by Red Bull Powertrains.
Laurent Mekies: “2026 marks the start of a new and significant era for Formula One and for Red Bull. We wanted our livery to reflect this, while also giving a nod to Red Bull Racing’s beginnings. We are in F1 because of the dream of one man, Dietrich Mateschitz, and several years later, he had another dream, to create an engine.
This livery is designed to celebrate that spirit that we entered the sport with. In the year that an Oracle Red Bull Racing car carries a Red Bull Ford Powertrains PU for the first time, it felt only right to reflect some of our history in our livery.
The Team have done an incredible job, to be here today and to be in the position to go to Barcelona Shakedown with our own car and our own power unit for the first time ever.
This is the result of the efforts of 2,000 people at the Red Bull Technology Campus, the most talented group that you can find and they’ve been working together to get us to this moment. It’s the beginning of an extremely exciting journey for all of us and we’l take to the track as one – one Red Bull chassis and power unit.
The car looks stunning, we wanted to give it a special touch with the gloss for this new chapter. and we hope the fans enjoy it”.
Via a video link from Milton Keynes, the team’s Head of Power Unit Technical Development, Ben Hodgkinson, joined the presentation, which then continued with a showcase of the next-generation power units using virtual reality technology.
Later, the team’s Technical Director Pierre Waché and Red Bull Powertrains’ Chief Engineer Phil Prew took to the stage, each sharing several insights into the engineering challenges involved.
Only after that did Red Bull Racing’s drivers — Max Verstappen and the team’s debutant Isack Hadjar — take to the stage, and it was they who were entrusted with unveiling the official livery of the new RB22 car. A show car was presented on this occasion, which was of no particular significance at that moment. It was clear that Red Bull’s traditional dark blue colour scheme had been slightly revised, and both drivers noted that they liked the new look very much.
Overall, the colour combination remained largely traditional for Red Bull with noticeable differences in the details, giving the car a genuinely striking and eye-catching appearance.
Max Verstappen: “I think it’s much better. I’ve been asking for this for a while, so this is great. I like the shine. I like the blue. It’s my favourite colour.” The four-time world champion added: “I like the outlines of the rainbow logo as well. It’s back. It’s much more fresh”.
Isack Hadjar: “It’s a real privilege to be part of Oracle Red Bull Racing and be next to Max. I love the front wing and gloss as during night races it will stand out”.
Thereafter, the second part of the ceremony began, dedicated to the Racing Bulls car. Compared to the RB22, the design of the VCARB 03 featured noticeably more differences. The team’s drivers, Liam Lawson and season debutant Arvid Lindblad, unveiled the new livery.
One of the intriguing moments was that the conversation was not limited solely to racing topics. Lindblad said that his favourite musician is Eminem, which sparked a lively reaction in the audience, given the artist’s Detroit roots.
Liam Lawson: “The partnership between Ford and Red Bull, the energy around the team, and the ambition for what’s ahead make this an incredibly exciting time to be part of VCARB. I’m more motivated than ever to push forward and help turn that vision into results on track.”
Arvid Lindblad: “This moment is honestly surreal. To be introduced as a Formula One driver at an event like this, in such an iconic setting, is something I’ll never forget. I’m ready to learn, to work and to give everything on track as we start this new chapter together.”
At the end, the Faenza-based team’s principal, Alan Permane, joined the drivers on stage, and they also shared a few remarks.
Alan Permane: “2026 represents one of the biggest technical changes Formula One has seen, and partnering with Ford at the very start of this journey is hugely significant for us.
The Red Bull Ford Powertrains project brings together world-class engineering, innovation and racing DNA, and it puts us in a strong position as the sport enters this new era. We’ve been working closely together and are proud of what the Red Bull family have developed. It’s something we’re excited to have in our race car as we hit the track in the coming weeks”.