While Red Bull were getting praise for how well their new power unit performed, things weren’t as consistent down at the other end of the pit lane for Racing Bulls.
Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad gave a good account of themselves, suggesting the VCARB 03 should be competitive in the midfield early on. But reliability issues kept both drivers from ranking high on the lap count charts.
Lawson has shown some strong top speeds already, but consistency will be crucial over race distances. Drivers who can’t manage their battery usage effectively each lap may find themselves falling behind.
Ted Kravitz has generally been optimistic about Racing Bulls so far, but there’s a growing concern around the grid about race starts. This could put any qualifying gains at risk if not addressed quickly.
On a positive note, it doesn’t seem like Racing Bulls are among the teams most affected by this issue so far.
How Red Bull’s Power Unit Compares to Other Teams Under the New Start Rules
One of the big questions heading into this season is how teams will manage the new engine regulations, especially with drivers no longer getting battery support off the line. Turbo lag could play a bigger role in how well they launch.
A report from The Race provided some insight into how different teams managed under these changes.
Based on what’s available so far, Lawson’s Racing Bulls had the shortest launch sequence at six seconds, though it was described as ‘messy’ due to uneven revving from the Red Bull engine and a somewhat flat start.
Even if Lawson didn’t nail the getaway, only needing six seconds to prepare for all five lights to go out could stand him in good stead.
By comparison, Oliver Bearman’s Haas held revs for 11 seconds before moving, while Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi-powered car took 13.5 seconds.
Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac has the same Ferrari power unit as Bearman’s car and also took 11 seconds.
The Honda engine continues to draw mixed reviews. Lance Stroll had to restart his first practice attempt after issues with what some described as an ‘unrefined’-sounding unit.
McLaren stood out positively, with an eight-second launch that sounded much smoother. Still, these times are notably longer than what we’ve seen in past seasons and will be something for the FIA to monitor going forward.
Oliver Bearman weighs in on how 2026 Formula 1 race starts have changed
Oliver Bearman shared his thoughts on the 2026 grand prix starts, whilst talking to The Race, saying: “Now we have to spend a lot longer doing the wait phase prior to doing the actual start, and it’s really on a knife-edge to get it right.
“It’s really a matter of milliseconds; if you’re too late or too early by half a second, then it doesn’t work.
“So it’s complicated, and so far we haven’t been consistent at all with the practice starts, which is a bit worrying, but I think we start to understand why and as we understand the engine more, things will get easier.
“It’s not as easy as a throttle position equals a certain power from the engine. And then of course, you have the transition to MGU-K at a certain speed as well, which is proving challenging to implement properly.
“It’s tough for everyone, that’s for sure. You see everyone sitting on the grid for 20 seconds with their rpm all over the place, and it shows that we’re not the only ones struggling with that.”
If Racing Bulls find themselves stuck in midfield again this year, Lawson will be looking for any edge he can find.
The Red Bull power unit has looked strong early on, but there are still questions about just how competitive Racing Bulls’ VCARB 03 chassis will be over a full season.
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