Racing Bulls has commenced a two-day shakedown schedule for its new Formula 1 challenger, ahead of next week’s first pre-season testing schedule.
The Faenza-based squad officially launched the livery of its VCARB 03 in Detroit last week, along with its counterparts Red Bull.
F1’s pre-season testing gets underway at the Circuit de-Barcelona Catalunya next week, the first of three programmes, the following two taking place in Bahrain next month.
But the Alan Permane-led outfit is keen to get the car up and running to ensure everything is up to code before fully turning its wheels in anger.
Tuesday will see it use a ‘demonstration event’ clause in the regulations, which gives teams just 15 kilometres to run the car, usually for marketing purposes.
Wednesday will be more expansive, using a similar clause of filming days, of which two are allowed per-season. These were also used by Audi and Cadillac for their shakedowns recently.
This enables both Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad to complete 200 kilometres between them, albeit on specific non-race Pirelli compounds.
The two-day schedule will take place at Imola, the circuit being a short 19 mile distance from its base.
Lawson will commence his first full season with the team, having rejoined after his two-race spell with Red Bull in 2025, after two separate spells taking over from Daniel Ricciardo in 2023 and 2024.
Lindblad has graduated from Formula 2, with the aid of the team’s junior programme, and becomes F1’s sixth British driver, the fifth to race under a British entry.
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