The first two Formula 1 races in Melbourne and Shanghai have highlighted how Racing Bulls is getting more from the Red Bull-Ford power unit than Red Bull itself. The VCARB 03 cars achieve extremely high top speeds, making them difficult to overtake on straights. This stems from a unique operating philosophy that maintains speed in the final straight sections.
The trend emerged during Bahrain testing with high top speeds for the Red Bull power unit (PU), which favors less derating at the end of straights compared to rivals. In the Australian Grand Prix, Oliver Bearman struggled for laps behind Arvid Lindblad's VCARB 03 without finding an overtaking opportunity. Melbourne's straights and limited energy recovery forced pursuers to drain batteries, leaving them vulnerable afterward, where Racing Bulls' top speeds aided defense as top midfield qualifiers. In Shanghai, Racing Bulls again kept rivals behind, though battery management for the long back straight was less decisive there. Red Bull placed a car on the second row in Melbourne qualifying ahead of McLaren and Ferrari, the latter hampered by Q3 deployment issues. However, Red Bull struggled in China due to first-lap incidents and chassis shortcomings, including sources suggesting the RB22 is 15-20kg overweight. Racing Bulls finished seventh via Liam Lawson's drive, ahead of Isack Hadjar's Red Bull, which recovered from an early spin aided by the safety car. While Racing Bulls suffers more in longer race stints versus Haas's competitive chassis and Ferrari PU operation, both teams share a lack of outright power compared to rivals like Ferrari and Haas. This first in-house Red Bull engine shows promise in specific setups, though chassis and weight issues limit Red Bull.