The state of play at Racing Bulls

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Racing Bulls were one of just two F1 teams to have a new driver line-up for 2026, rookie Arvid Lindblad joining Liam Lawson under the guidance of Team Principal Alan Permane. Running Red Bull Ford Powertrains engines this season, Racing Bulls have had a fairly good start to the year – but they face a stiff task if they want to top the midfield in 2026. Here is the state of play so far this season… Racing Bulls seem to have had the better of the Red Bull Ford Powertrains reliability this season, with both drivers finishing every Grand Prix so far. The only blot on their copybook is the Shanghai Sprint, where Lindblad failed to finish after also struggling in FP1 with reliability. While China was a difficult weekend for the teenager, he more than showed why he's been promoted to F1 in Australia, when he scored points on debut. Not to be out-done, Lawson then scored in both the Sprint and Grand Prix in China, and in Japan too. With both cars making Q3 in Australia and Lindblad also making the top-10 at Suzuka, it is clear the car has decent one-lap pace as well. As such, it has been a strong start to the year for Racing Bulls, who sit seventh in the Championship, just two points behind Red Bull. But for some Safety Car luck, Lindblad could have also scored in Japan – meaning it is not unthinkable that they will overtake their sister team in the near future. There are plenty of reasons for 2026 to be a good year for Racing Bulls. In Permane, they have an experienced team leader who has ensured the transition from Laurent Mekies leaving has been a smooth one. Lindblad has shown his class and maturity and, at just 18-years-old, looks the real deal. Lawson continues to bounce back from the disappointments of last year, and is back to his old feisty self duelling with those around him in the midfield. The car looks a good design, and while there have been some hiccups with the engine, Red Bull are throwing plenty of resources at the project, which Racing Bulls will reap the benefits from. Reasons to be cautious The midfield is surprisingly tightly packed this year already – normally the teams converge a few years into a regulations change. As such, points are set to become harder and harder to come by. While Lawson has started well and picked up a decent haul from the last two races, he – and the team – have benefitted from reliability woes at some of the big teams like McLaren, so there will be weekends where P9 is the best on offer. And that engine does still have question marks over it, in terms of competitiveness and reliability. “Three point-scoring finishes in the last two race [weekends], which is a nice bit of momentum heading into the break,” Lawson said after Japan. "I’ll spend time training and with the team to reflect on the past month before Miami, as we keep working to improve. Lindblad also said he was focused on training before Miami, and keeping himself in shape for the resumption of the season. They won’t be overdoing it though – Permane wants both drivers to rest before the next glut of races. “[Lindblad’s] learning continues,” added Permane. “We're looking forward to a break now with some good upgrades to the car planned for Miami. “Liam and Arvid will do a mix of training and simulator work in preparation for the upcoming races, but importantly some well-deserved rest as well." Lindblad will continue to improve as his experience grows, which can only be a good thing for the team. Racing Bulls need to keep his confidence high, as it is inevitable that as a rookie, he will suffer some tougher moments. As for the car, they are slower off the line than those with a Ferrari engine, which includes their midfield rival Haas. So, starts are an obvious area to improve, along with making sure they are on top of their development game. Further understanding their engine is another source of potential gains, with Red Bull sharing data with their sister team. Komatsu highlights 'important quality' Bearman brings to Haas12 women who’ve raced and tested F1 carsBottas reveals Cadillac decisions he's never done before in F1The state of play at CadillacThe state of play at WilliamsOUR PARTNERSView allDownload the Official F1 AppScheduleDriversNewsTeamsFantasy & GamingCookie PreferencesMoreF1FacebookXInstagramYouTube© 2003-2026 Formula One World Championship Limited