Verstappen impressed as Red Bull unveils new RB22 livery in Detroit

In collaboration with Ford, Red Bull unveiled the new colour scheme for its 2026 Formula 1 car on Thursday evening during a grand event. The presentation took place in front of a large crowd of fans and media, including many invited guests from the United States. The iconic Michigan Central Station was transformed into the focal point of the Red Bull–Ford unveiling, officially marking the start of their partnership.

After extensive introductions by Ford executives Mark Rushbrook, Jim Farley and Bill Ford, as well as Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, the new livery was finally revealed in front of the roaring crowd. The car appeared in Red Bull’s traditional colours; but whereas in previous years the differences were often minimal, the new livery does clearly differ from its predecessors.

That did not seem to register with some of the audience. “Wow, it’s blue!” one spectator joked. When Verstappen was asked for his opinion on the new livery and responded, “I really love it”, some in the crowd reacted with a few chuckles, seemingly assuming the Dutchman was being sarcastic in typical Verstappen fashion. The opposite, however, was true.

In recent years, Red Bull raced with a matte paint finish, something Verstappen had admitted some time ago he had grown a little tired of. At the time, he said that if he could choose the team’s livery himself, he would return to the glossy finish used in earlier years. That retro look is exactly what the Austrian team has opted for at the start of the new era.

There was therefore nothing insincere about Verstappen’s reaction. "I love the new livery, it looks really nice and think it is going to stand out on track this year. The gloss is cool, it is a more retro look, the colour is really bold and blue, I really like it. Seeing it in real life was special and I was really impressed and surprised by how much of a change it is", the Dutchman said in the presence of GPblog.

For Verstappen, the new look of his car brings back many fond memories from earlier in his career, when he had just started in Formula 1 and everything was still new to him. "The whole look brings back a lot of great memories of back in the day when I was just starting out in F1 and everything was new. I’m excited to drive a car with a completely different look. I’m not sure the mechanics will be happy about the time it’ll take to keep this clean", he said jokingly. “But it’s going to look really sharp, and it’s great for everyone to see this car on the track.”