Red Bull unveils RB22 with Ford power unit ahead of Barcelona shakedown
Red Bull has revealed the RB22, featuring its first-ever in-house power unit developed with Ford, ahead of the Barcelona shakedown. Max Verstappen returns for his 11th season aiming for a fifth title, joined by promoted rookie Isack Hadjar.
Red Bull has dropped the curtain on its RB22, the 2026 contender set to make its track debut in Barcelona this week. This launch marks a historic shift for the team as they introduce a self-developed power unit in partnership with Ford, aiming to capitalize on the momentum gained during the latter half of the 2025 season.
Why it matters:
The introduction of a proprietary power unit is a massive gamble and opportunity for Red Bull. After relying on partnerships for decades, the Milton Keynes squad is now a fully-fledged manufacturer. With Max Verstappen targeting a fifth world championship, the reliability and outright performance of this new engine will determine if Red Bull can return to the front of the grid and challenge McLaren's dominance.
The details:
- New Power Unit: The RB22 features Red Bull's first-ever in-house power unit, built in collaboration with Ford. This is a critical milestone for the team as it seeks to extract performance gains through total vertical integration.
- Driver Lineup: Max Verstappen enters his 11th season with the team, eyeing a fifth title. He is joined by Isack Hadjar, who earns a promotion to the race seat following a positive rookie campaign in 2025.
- Performance Context: The car succeeds the 2025 model, which showed a dramatic performance upswing in the second half of last year, placing intense pressure on McLaren's title push.
- Track Debut: The car is set to hit the track this week for the first pre-season test. The team opted against a separate filming day, meaning the shakedown in Barcelona will serve as the initial proving ground for the new package.
What's next:
The immediate focus is the shakedown in Barcelona to verify the new power unit's reliability. All eyes will be on the timing screens to see if the Ford partnership can deliver the power needed to bridge the gap to the front runners. The team will be analyzing data closely to ensure the RB22 carries over the strong race pace demonstrated by its predecessor.