The new Red Bull RB22 car for the F1 2026 season is to feature a double-pushrod suspension layout, it has been claimed.<\/p>\n
Formula 1\u2019s regulations will be overhauled next year as the chassis and engine regulations change simultaneously.<\/p>\n
Rumour: Red Bull RB22 to have pushrod suspension at front and rear for F1 2026<\/p>\n
The sport will embrace 50 per cent electrification, fully sustainable fuels and active aerodynamics in some of the biggest rule changes in F1 history.<\/p>\n
The F1 2026 season will see Red Bull produce its own engines for the first time via its newly established Powertrains division, which is working in conjunction with US manufacturer Ford.<\/p>\n
Red Bull announced its technical partnership with Ford in early 2023, opening the door for long-term partner Honda to link up with the Aston Martin team from F1 2026.<\/p>\n
Red Bull RB22 among new cars for F1 2026 season<\/p>\n
F1 2026: Confirmed teams and power unit suppliers for F1\u2019s huge regulation changes<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2025 v F1 2026: Nine key questions ahead of huge regulation changes<\/a><\/p>\n As reported by PlanetF1.com last month<\/a>, Red Bull Racing and sister outfit Racing Bulls will both appear at a Ford season-launch event in Detroit on January 25, less than two weeks before the first test of the F1 2026 season in Barcelona.<\/p>\n And the first rumoured design details of the new RB22 car, to be driven by four-time world champion Max Verstappen and new recruit Isack Hadjar, have emerged.<\/p>\n A report by Italian publication Auto Racer has claimed that the RB22 will feature a pushrod suspension layout at both the front and rear of the car.<\/p>\n If true, the change will see the Milton Keynes team drop its long-term philosophy of having a pullrod suspension at the front, which came with a significant aerodynamic advantage during the ground-effect era in place between 2022 and 2025.<\/p>\n F1\u2019s move away from ground-effect cars to flat-bottom machinery for 2026 is set to help facilitate the change, increasing the importance of mechanical simplicity and predictability in the behaviour of the suspension.<\/p>\n A pushrod suspension design is also likely to better accommodate the new power unit layout, bringing benefits in terms of packaging compared to the previous pullrod layout.<\/p>\n As reported by PlanetF1.com last month<\/a>, Ferrari is also rumoured to be turning to a double-pushrod design with its new F1 2026 car, codenamed Project 678.<\/p>\n If true, the move would see Ferrari compete with a pullrod suspension at the rear of the car for the first time since the 2010 season.<\/p>\n The performance of the new RBPT-Ford engine remains arguably the biggest question mark surrounding the Red Bull RB22.<\/p>\n Rumours have persisted for some time that Mercedes\u2019 preparations for F1 2026 are advanced compared to its competitors, which according to an alarming report in April<\/a> are all struggling to varying degrees with the development of the new engines.<\/p>\n The FIA appeared to confirm that some maunfacturers are struggling in October when it launched a new safety-net schem<\/a>e \u2013 named Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) \u2013 designed to help those experiencing difficulty to catch up in 2026.<\/p>\n Speaking ahead of his final race in charge of the team at July\u2019s British Grand Prix, former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner offered a hint over where the RBPT-Ford engine stands ahead of next season.<\/p>\n Horner told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets that it would be \u201cembarrassing\u201d for Mercedes and the other established engine manufacturers<\/a> if Red Bull-Ford produces a more competitive engine at the first time of asking in 2026.<\/p>\n