Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Liam Lawson has highlighted the “strong” reliability of the new Racing Bulls car after the team completed more than 1,000 laps during 2026 Formula 1 pre-season testing.
The Faenza-based squad accumulated 1,052 laps across a private shakedown in Barcelona and six official test days at the Bahrain International Circuit, placing fifth overall out of 11 teams in total mileage. Among midfield outfits, only Haas recorded a higher lap count.
Lawson contributed 488 laps to that total, while rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad logged 654 laps, making him one of the most productive drivers of the pre-season. The figures underline the dependability of the VCARB 03, which has so far demonstrated greater stability than its sister Red Bull machine.
Although some power unit-related concerns affecting Red Bull remain relevant across the wider structure, Lawson expressed optimism following the final three days of running in Sakhir.
“It’s been a really encouraging week, learning new things about the car every day,” Lawson said after testing concluded.
“This season’s testing has proved to be more important than any other year, so it’s great to see the progress we’ve made in such a short space of time.”
With both chassis and power unit regulations undergoing significant revision for 2026, teams faced an extensive validation programme across nine total pre-season running days. Lawson believes Racing Bulls has met its primary objective of establishing a reliable baseline.
“It’s been a very big challenge, but reliability has been strong, so we feel prepared as a team to bring our package to Melbourne,” he added.
Having secured a solid reliability foundation, Racing Bulls now shifts focus to performance refinement ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
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