Racing Bulls has made significant gains during the Barcelona pre-season shakedown for the 2026 Formula 1 season, according to driver Liam Lawson. The team completed substantial mileage across three days, focusing on reliability and learning about the new VCARB 03 car. Rookie Arvid Lindblad also impressed in his debut outing despite initial weather delays.
The Barcelona shakedown, a closed-door five-day test under F1's 2026 regulatory changes, allowed teams like Racing Bulls to run on three selected days: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Powered by Red Bull Ford, the VCARB 03 accumulated 272 laps in total—88 on Monday with Liam Lawson, 120 on Wednesday with rookie Arvid Lindblad, and 64 by Lawson on Thursday morning alone—equating to 1,267 km of data collection. Two red flags occurred on Monday and Wednesday, but these did not hinder overall progress, with the team praising its reliability. Liam Lawson, speaking at lunchtime on Thursday, highlighted the improvements: “We're making, obviously, big gains, but so is everybody else. Very, very different cars, but in a much better place than we were on Monday, which is the main thing. We just need to keep learning and improving the car.” He added that mileage expectations were met, describing it as a “pretty strong test in terms of reliability.” Lindblad's session on Wednesday followed a rain delay from the previous day. The 18-year-old, fresh from a sixth-place finish in Formula 2, completed over 40 laps before a technical red flag unrelated to his driving. “Really good. Obviously I was very happy to run today,” Lindblad said. “I’ve really enjoyed the day, it’s been really good. We’ve run without really any problems.” On his readiness for the season, he admitted: “I don't know. I mean, I've got a lot to learn. If I'm entirely ready, I don't know.” Racing Bulls chief technical officer Tim Goss commended Lindblad's composure: “He's really calm, really professional - feedback is really, really straightforward. For someone so young, it's really, really impressive.” Alan Permane, the team's sporting director, described the three days as “very good,” noting Lindblad's smooth integration. With data analysis ahead before the Bahrain test from February 11-13, Racing Bulls emphasized continued learning on the new car's energy management and handling differences.