Red Bull has released the first images of the RB12 ahead of the start of pre-season testing in Barcelona.

The new car was launched online 90 minutes before the first day of testing gets underway, featuring the team's new livery which was unveiled in London last week. Featuring another short nose design, the car will be powered by a Tag Heuer-branded Renault power unit.

Team principal Christian Horner admits Red Bull is on the back foot after uncertainty of its power unit supply in 2015 but hopes to see the team moving forward after a winless season.

"Obviously the late engine decision last year was a challenge but we found a solution in time and the whole team has worked incredibly hard to recover over the winter," Horner said. "Therefore, we're looking to build on the significant progress we made in the second half of 2015 and to carry that momentum into the early races of this season.

"My hopes for this season are that we genuinely make progress from where we were last year; that we get our heads down and we really develop the car well and hopefully with some performance coming on the power unit side as well that will allow us to get closer to some of our immediate rivals."

Follow live coverage and timing from pre-season testing here

GALLERY: Mercedes W07

GALLERY: McLaren-Honda MP4-31

GALLERY: Ferrari's new SF16-H

GALLERY: Williams FW38

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Red with purpose – It’s time for Ferrari to bring it home

As the Ferrari factory in Maranello glows in festive crimson, a sense of anticipation hums…

13 hours ago

Norris reveals the quirky private moment his F1 title finally sunk in

Lando Norris had just done the hardest thing in motorsport – winning the Formula 1…

15 hours ago

Howden Ganley, McLaren's third-ever employee

A veteran of 41 Grands Prix starts, Howden Ganley - seen here above hitting a…

15 hours ago

Leclerc’s ‘naughty’ Christmas gift leaves Russell ‘lost for words’

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc may not have ended the season with a silver trophy in hand,…

16 hours ago

The F1 dinner drama: Why Verstappen didn’t pick up the check

Max Verstappen’s timing out on the race track is surgical, but when it comes to…

17 hours ago

Bearman warns lone rookie Lindblad of ‘tough introduction’ to F1

Oliver Bearman knows exactly what awaits a rookie stepping into Formula 1 – and he’s…

18 hours ago