Inside the dangerous 2026 Red Bull livery reveal stunt and how it almost went wrong
Red Bull’s 2026 livery launch came with a healthy shot of adrenaline
Red Bull's 2026 livery was revealed exactly how you'd expect from the energy drink brand: through an adrenaline-spiked feat of aerobatics. Czech aerobatic specialist and 2018 Red Bull Air Race world champion Martin Šonka used a low cobra manoeuvre to tear the cover of the RB22 show car ahead of its Detroit launch.
Alongside the reveal of the Racing Bulls livery, Red Bull kicked off the season in style at Michigan Central Station with the squad leaning into the reset that's coming to Formula 1 this year. These new regulations will coincide with a new works power unit for Red Bull with Ford, while the livery pays tribute to the team's history.
But for Šonka, the margin for error was as tight as a race at Monaco thanks to the fact that his plane's tail had to be low enough to rip off the cover while staying clear of the runway and car.
Preparations began months earlier, with the actual filming of the stunt taking place in November of last year at Airport Jindřichův Hradec, well before the recent reveal.
The dangerous choreography was built up slowly as the pilot became more experienced with the movement. It began with the cobra movement in isolation, building up to a small cloth being used without the car, then a large sheet, and only then was the car introduced.
To give the pilot an extra set of eyes, a LiDAR-based system was added to give audio and visual cues on ground clearance.
Martin Sonka ahead of the unveiling of the new Oracle Red Bull Racing livery in Jindřichův Hradec, Czech Republic on 28th November, 2025.
Photo by: Samo Vidic / Red Bull Content Pool
Martin Sonka ahead of the unveiling of the new Oracle Red Bull Racing livery in Jindřichův Hradec, Czech Republic on 28th November, 2025.
Photo by: Samo Vidic / Red Bull Content Pool
But the minimal altitude was the last of their worries. A danger presented itself in how the sheet would be released when pulled from over the car. If it got trapped on a wing or mirror, then it could end in tears. So a release mechanism had to be built to cope with the material being pulled off, accelerating from stationary to roughly 150-200km/h in under a second.
Filming day eventually arrived with temperatures reaching lows of -3C. It was cold in the unheated plane and, due to the shape of the canopy, Šonka lost sight of the car roughly 200 metres before initiating the cobra.
"Flying that low at that speed feels like threading a needle blind," he said. "200 km/h, barely 1.5 metres above the ground. The margin for propeller clearance was minimal."
The car was released to crowds in Motor City, featuring a heritage white base with a jacquard blue pattern in gloss that is also seen on the team kit.
"2026 marks the start of a new and significant era for Formula One and for Red Bull," team principal Laurent Mekies said. "We wanted our livery to reflect this, while also giving a nod to Red Bull Racing's beginnings."
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