Red Bull F1 2026 car launch: Start time and watch the big reveal LIVE

Photo: © IMAGO

F1 2026

Red Bull F1 2026 car launch: Watch the big reveal LIVE

The six-time champs will break cover first for 2026

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Friday 16 January 2026 02:00

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It's like being a kid on Christmas - we are now just a few short hours away from our first glimpse of what 2026's F1 cars are going to look like, and one of the biggest teams is going first.

Red Bull will show off the sparkling liveries for their brand new RB22 car in Detroit tonight (January 15), showing off in the Motor City while the crew at their Milton Keynes factory are (hopefully?) sound asleep in bed.

Yep, the time difference makes this a bit of a tricky one for us in the UK, with the six-time constructors champions not going live on their season launch until 3am GMT (4am CET) on Friday, January 16, as Thursday night becomes Friday morning in the UK and Europe.

Heck, that's even a late night on local time, kicking the live event off at 10pm Eastern Time (9pm Central, 7pm Pacific) in Michigan. If only there was some sort of energy drink brand who could sponsor such a late-running event.

How to watch Red Bull's 2026 launch live

If you're a hardy soul, megafan, contractually obligated or simply 'someone who lives in a helpful time zone', you can watch the entire event live on Red Bull TV, or download the Red Bull TV app.

To make things even easier, we've embedded the YouTube stream right here so you can watch without leaving the confines of GPFans:

It's worth noting that while the liveries will be what we see on track next year, the 2026 spec of the car won't be finished until the very end of the pre-season – and maybe not even then, with talk that some teams won't unveil their full race trim until the first day's free practice at Melbourne.

When will Racing Bulls launch their 2026 car?

There won't just be one livery launched in Detroit this week though, with Red Bull and Racing Bulls sharing the event – meaning that fans will get a first sight of how Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad will look in 2026.

The team are coming off their best season since 2021, securing sixth in the constructors' championship with the driver pairing of Lawson and Isack Hadjar, with the latter getting his first F1 podium finish in just his 14th start.

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