Formula 1 newcomer Arvid Lindblad lost control of the Racing Bulls VCARB 03 during its debut run at Imola, ending up in the gravel amid wet conditions. Liam Lawson had earlier completed an installation lap for the new Red Bull Ford-powered machine. The incident occurred on a limited demonstration day, with more running planned for Wednesday.
Racing Bulls conducted the first on-track shakedown of its 2026 Formula 1 car, the VCARB 03, at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy, on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The circuit, located just 15km from the team's Faenza factory, hosted the event under cold and continuous rain, with the car fitted with full-wet demonstration tyres.
The shakedown responded to F1's new chassis and engine regulations, featuring the livery unveiled in Detroit on January 15 alongside Red Bull Powertrains' partner Ford. This marked the first track running for the new Red Bull Powertrains engine, the company's debut as a manufacturer. The car displayed a trapezoidal airbox, a nose diving close to the front wing's main plane, extremely narrow sidepod inlets, a large engine air intake for cooling electronics, down-swept sidepods, high rake, and pushrod layouts for both front and rear suspensions—designs set to carry over to the Barcelona pre-season test from January 26-30.
Morning teething problems delayed the start, but Liam Lawson took the wheel at 12:26pm local time, completing an installation lap under the watchful eye of rookie teammate Arvid Lindblad. Lindblad later assumed driving duties but lost control in the Villeneuve chicane (Turns 5-6), spinning into the gravel. The car sustained minimal damage and was recovered by truck. With only the installation lap completed out of the allowed three laps (15km total for the demonstration event), the team could theoretically return to the track later that day.
A 200km promotional event, limited to 40 laps on demonstration rubber, is scheduled for Wednesday at Imola, allowing Lawson and Lindblad further experience before pre-season testing. It remains unclear whether the spin resulted from driver error or a technical issue, as Lindblad reportedly returned to the circuit afterward.
