F1 team post cryptic message as countdown starts

Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Social

F1 team post cryptic message as countdown starts

F1 social media can be a confusing place

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 9 January 2026 15:55

Racing Bulls, the sister team of Red Bull F1 have taken to social media to tease fans with a cryptic post ahead of a big reveal next week.

January may usually be a quiet month for the F1 grid but this year, all 11 teams are going full steam ahead to ramp up their preparations for a new era.

Racing Bulls have joined in on the fun by posting a video and cryptic image on their social media accounts that showed flashing morse code with an accompanying caption that read: "... . . / -.— — ..- / .. -. / -.. . - .-. — .. - 7 days."

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Social media sleuths flocked to the comments to quickly reveal that the morse code could be translated to 'See you in Detroit', in a nod to the Red Bull and Racing Bulls 2026 car launches, which are taking place across the pond next week.

One fan couldn't contain their excitement over the looming launch date, taking to the comments to write: "Last year my jaw dropped seeing your car. Hoping for a repeat of that," whilst another commented: "we sit and wait in anticipation."

How will Ford play a role at Racing Bulls in 2026?

So when can fans get their first taste of the new Red Bull and Racing Bulls machinery? January 15, 2026.

This is the first time both teams have launched their new F1 look on the same day and the event will mark the very first car launch of the 2026 season.

This year, F1 is undergoing a regulations overhaul that will produce smaller cars which are designed to encourage closer, more exhilarating racing, and each team will have to adapt to a new set of power unit rules.

The countdown has now begun for the event which will celebrate the F1 teams backed by energy drink giants Red Bull, who are teaming up with American Automaker Ford for their Red Bull Powertrains project.

After Honda officially departed Red Bull as the F1 team's engine partner at the end of the 2021 season, a deal was eventually struck for the partnership to continue until the end of 2025, allowing Red Bull Powertrains enough time to develop its own power unit for 2026.

As Honda have now departed to focus their attention on new partner Aston Martin, Red Bull have enlisted the help of Ford to ensure they hit the ground running in the new era of the sport.

Red Bull Powertrains are working with Ford to develop a competitive engine that will be used in both the Red Bull F1 cars and the Racing Bulls vehicles driven this season by Liam Lawson and F1 rookie Arvid Lindblad.

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