Red Bull unveils the RB22's livery in Detroit

F1 Grand Prix, GP United States, Circuit of The Americas

Red Bull Ford Powertrains and Red Bull Racing officially opened their 2026 Formula One campaign with a high‑profile launch event in Detroit, revealing both the team’s first in‑house power unit and the livery that will debut under the new regulations.

The evening marked a major milestone in Red Bull’s transition from customer to full power‑unit manufacturer, culminating in the public debut of the DM01, the first engine built entirely within the Red Bull Technology Campus.

Joining the event via live link from Milton Keynes, Red Bull Ford Powertrains Technical Director Ben Hodgkinson announced that the new power unit will carry the initials of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

“To get to this moment where we can finally launch the first‑ever Red Bull Ford Powertrain means a lot to myself, and the several hundred people that have poured their passion into this project with hours and hours of hard graft,” Hodgkinson said. “We started with Dietrich’s dream, and the people here in Milton Keynes made it a reality.”

The DM01 honours Mateschitz’s decisive role in Red Bull’s motorsport history. He not only drove the company’s entry into Formula One in 2005 but also championed the bold move to establish an independent engine programme when the opportunity arose. The new power unit is the first designed specifically around a Red Bull chassis, a strategic advantage enabled by the incoming 2026 regulations.

Ford, which joined the project in 2023 as a technical partner, played a central role in the Detroit launch. The event was staged at the newly restored Michigan Central Station, a landmark revitalised by Ford Motor Company after decades of abandonment. The location underscored Ford’s heritage in American automotive engineering and its renewed commitment to global motorsport.

Ford CEO Jim Farley highlighted the shared ambition behind the partnership.
“When we first crossed paths with Oracle Red Bull Racing four years ago, we felt that the Red Bull swagger matched our spirit,” Farley said. “An energy drinks company building their own Formula One power unit is a remarkable story, and Ford are privileged to have been on this journey with them.”

The show featured an augmented‑reality deep dive into the DM01, live demonstrations from Red Bull athletes, and the first public appearance of the 2026 Red Bull livery, which blends early Red Bull Racing design cues with Ford’s signature blue.

Oracle Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal Laurent Mekies emphasised the significance of entering 2026 with a fully integrated chassis‑and‑engine package.

“It was incredible to reveal the livery here in Detroit, in Ford’s home,” Mekies said. “The Team have done an incredible job, to be here today and to be in the position to go to Barcelona Shakedown with our own car and our own power unit for the first time ever. It is the beginning of an extremely exciting journey for all of us and we will take to the track as one.”

Red Bull CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments Oliver Mintzlaff framed the programme as a continuation of the company’s appetite for bold, high‑risk ventures.

“This is a new chapter for us,” Mintzlaff said. “Building our own engine and bringing it to life on track is a remarkable step for our brand. We took a similar risk when we entered Formula One back in 2005, and that mindset hasn’t changed.”