Formula 1 team Racing Bulls has announced a sudden rebrand ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, adopting a new name, logo, and car livery inspired by the World Cup. The team will compete as VCARB FC for the weekend, celebrating the start of one of the globe's other major sporting competitions.
World Cup Fever Hits the Paddock
World Cup fever has taken hold at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix with football-themed challenges in the paddock and Racing Bulls fully rebranding themselves as VCARB FC for the weekend. As part of the stunt, the team will be wearing custom football shirts in the paddock this weekend which feature all their usual sponsors and branding as well as a specially-created new crest on the chest. The new design also extends to the car, which has a World Cup-themed livery for the weekend including footballs on the wheel covers.
Drivers and Designers Involved
Drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad have been pictured wearing the new shirts which were designed with the help of independent creators enlisted by Racing Bulls. That includes graphic designer Florence Burns, who came up with much of the branding, fashion designer Hattie Crowther and photographer Ezra Alexander, who has captured the promotional shots.
Team CEO Comments
Team chief executive Peter Bayer said: "Formula 1 and football are two global sports with incredibly passionate communities, united by a shared sense of identity, creativity and culture. With VCARB FC, we're celebrating that crossover, bringing together the energy of both sports. We're also proud to give emerging talent the opportunity to help shape campaigns like this, bringing fresh perspectives that continue to push the boundaries in the world of F1."
Momentum from Monaco
The team hopes it will bring more success on track in Barcelona after an excellent Monaco Grand Prix last weekend. Lawson and Lindblad survived a chaotic race to finish fifth and sixth respectively, marking both drivers' best results ever and scoring 18 points to put them right on the tail of midfield rivals Alpine in the constructors' championship.
Driver Reactions
Lawson said: "Monaco was a really positive weekend for us as a team. We showed strong pace and came away with a result that reflected the hard work everyone has been putting in behind the scenes. It feels great to be building momentum, especially heading into a run of important races. Barcelona is a track that really tests every aspect of the car, so it's a good opportunity to keep pushing forward and see what we can achieve this weekend. It's also pretty special to be racing with our VCARB FC livery as we bring together two sports that share so much passion and global support. I'm looking forward to getting back out there."
Lindblad added: "It was a challenging and intense weekend in Monaco but, after a disappointing qualifying, we really turned things around as a team and scored important points on Sunday which was a huge team effort. Now, we're obviously focused on trying to keep the momentum going, as we go into another race week in Barcelona. This is a higher speed track compared to Canada and Monaco and the track characteristics are different, so if we show competitiveness here, this will give us even more confidence on the car. It will also be interesting see how the car has developed, as it's the only circuit where we've already driven the VCARB 03 during testing at the beginning of the year. Barcelona is a fun track to drive, one of those I've always enjoyed a lot. It's going to be a special weekend for the team as well, where we'll have a cool, one-off look to celebrate the start of the World Cup."
