FIRST LOOK: Striking new Racing Bulls F1 car makes track debut at Imola

Racing Bulls’ striking new white F1 challenger hit the track for the first time on Wednesday with Yuki Tsunoda behind the wheel.

Red Bull’s junior team are one of the only teams that have made significant changes to their colour scheme for the new campaign.

Initially unveiled at F1 75 Live in London, VCARB opted for a stunning white livery similar to what Red Bull ran at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix.

They planned to run the car on Monday but postponed it until Wednesday to avoid any leaks surrounding their new livery.

Tsunoda hit the track at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari on Wednesday to give the VCARB02 its first run-out.

The Japanese driver shared the track with Ayumu Iwasa, who was behind the team’s 2023 car.

Tsunoda’s initial test went smoothly as all 10 F1 teams gear up for next week’s pre-season test in Bahrain.

What to expect from VCARB in 2025?

Racing Bulls will continue to make the most of the alliance with Red Bull, adopting their suspension layout, gearbox and similar sidepod design.

However, team principal Laurent Mekies has predicted a difficult start to the season, even though they’ve tried to make their new car “more consistent” in 2025.

He told media including Crash.net at F1 75 Live: “Is it ready yet to say the car is up there? No, we don’t think it’s ready yet.

“We expect a tough first part of the season. but with the conviction that the direction of travel is the right one, people are pulling together in the right direction.”

Tsunoda continues to spearhead VCARB’s charge in 2025 after Red Bull overlooked him for a promotion alongside Max Verstappen.

Isack Hadjar will be his teammate, having finished second in FIA Formula 2 in 2024.