03 February 2023 , 14:31
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Red Bull plan to run cars with special fan-design liveries at three Formula 1 races this year in a notable departure from tradition.
Since the brand first began competing in the sport in the 2005 season, Red Bull have generally avoided any major livery shake-ups. Their colour palettes and designs have broadly remained the same, with few major changes made to the look of their cars.
But that will be different for three races this year. At each of the Grands Prix due to take place in the United States, the team plans to field cars with liveries that have been designed in a fan competition. The news was announced at the team's season launch event in New York, where the main paint job of the RB19 was also revealed.
Fans will be able to submit their visions for the cars. Submissions for the first US race of the year, May's Miami Grand Prix, are set to open from now.
While changes to Red Bull's main liveries have been rare, the team does have a track record of one-off designs. Most recently, in 2021, the team raced with white liveries and race suits at the Turkish Grand Prix, to as a nod to their partners Honda on the weekend where the plan had originally been to race in Japan.
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Other changes have been for good causes, such as the occasions upon which fans were invited to have their faces on the car in aid of spinal cord injury charity Wings For Life. And, while they were only used for tests and shakedowns instead of races, the black-and-white Camobull and black-and-blue Disruptobull were both hits with fans.
This 'Doodle' designed Red Bull F1 car will be auctioned off for charity (Red Bull Content Pool)Red Bull also showed off a unique design created by 'Mr Doodle' – an eye-catching black and white effort signed by drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. The car will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the team's nominated charity, Wings For Life.
Also at the launch event, Red Bull showed off the actual main livery of their RB19 car. Those hoping for a major change to how their cars look will have been disappointed, as they unveiled a similar design and colour scheme to all of the cars that the team has fielded since it joined F1.
The team's expected partnership with the Ford Motor Company was also confirmed. The carmaker will officially join from the 2026 season onwards and will help Red Bull's in-house power unit manufacturing process with its knowledge and expertise of EV and hybrid technology.