Could F1's New Era Spark The Return Of Key Red Bull Weapon?

The new Formula 1 season is almost upon us already after one of the shortest winter breaks in history.

Just 39 days separate the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi and the first livery launch for the new campaign, held by Red Bull and Racing Bulls in Detroit - home of new power unit partner Ford - on Thursday evening.

A new era of F1 awaits with the ground-effect aerodynamic philosophy gone in favor of a return to top-face aero, as well as active aero and new power unit regulations, which could shake up the order.

Red Bull may have lost its stranglehold over the sport over the previous two years, but a former key weapon from Max Verstappen's maiden championship-winning year in 2021 returns and could bolster the team's chances if it can replicate that advantage.

What has changed for 2026?

The biggest aerodynamic change in the new regulation set is the shift from ground-effect floors to flat floors.

Flat floors were used in F1 between 1983 and 2021 after Venturi tunnels (ground-effect floors) were first banned from competition, producing far less downforce under the car.

Shorter, narrower and lighter 👊

Explaining the adjusted sizing of the cars ahead of this season! 🗣️👇#F1 pic.twitter.com/TgpFIxCPhM
— Formula 1 (@F1) January 13, 2026

It means teams will have to find ways of generating the downforce required to extract lap speed with the loss of the Venturi tunnels, instead relying on car set-up.

One such way of doing so is experimenting with rake, something that Red Bull used to great effect at the end of the previous flat floor era.

What is rake?

Rake is the difference in ride height between the front and the rear of the car, with more aggressive rake set-ups able to alter the underbody downforce generated.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Bahrain 2021 — Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

In short, with a high-rake setup, the gap between the floor and the track surface at the front is barely existent, with the floor then rapidly inclining back to the rear diffuser, essentially creating an upside-down airplane wing.

The tiny gap between floor and track at the front of the car means that air has a narrower space to pass underneath, and airflow being accelerated by the change in air pressure.

This means the floor and diffuser work harder to generate more downforce at the rear of the car, simulating the same advantages as a ground-effect floor.

High-rake set-ups do come with disadvantages as well, but when executed well, can provide a number of performance advantages.

Why Red Bull could prosper

Red Bull 2026 launch — Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

With downforce increased underneath the car, less downforce is needed from above. Red Bull in particular mastered this.

Mercedes' turbo-hybrid power unit was the pick of the field when that regulation set was introduced in 2014, and the power deficit rendered the advantage Red Bull had picked up with cornering speeds between 2010 and 2013 meaningless.

Yet with rake experimentation, the increased downforce allowed Red Bull to run skinnier rear wings to ensure it remained just as fast through the corners while being able to increase top speeds and provide a better match for the Mercedes power.

Red Bull entering the unknown

The biggest question mark for Red Bull entering the season concerns its first in-house power unit, built in partnership with Ford.

Firing up for F1 2026 🤝#F1 || #RedBullRacing @FordRacing pic.twitter.com/9yvr5eUY2Y
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) January 15, 2026

It has been a huge undertaking for the team to create an on-campus powertrain division and prepare for the new season, with numerous changes to the power units used. Honda struggled immensely when rejoining F1 in the infancy of the previous power unit regulation cycle and it would be foolish to expect Red Bull-Ford to be best in class straight away.

Where the engines shuffle out compared to its rivals won't be revealed until cars hit the track in anger for the first time, but supposing the power unit isn't as strong as incumbents Mercedes and Ferrari, for example, then the use of rake could see Red Bull competitive nevertheless.

Ready for testing

With Red Bull kicking off launch season, focus will soon turn to the first test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

That will take place behind closed doors during the last week of January as teams shake down their new machinery, before heading to Bahrain for two further tests in February.

The first race of the season takes place at the Australian Grand Prix on March 8.

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