Liam Lawson turns heads at Australian GP with mud-covered Ford Raptor T1+ arrival

Racing Bulls Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson turned heads as he arrived at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in a Ford Raptor T1+.

Lawson rolled up to the Albert Park paddock in a mud-covered Ford Raptor T1+, which is understood to be the machinery that Carlos Sainz Sr drove at the 2026 Dakar Rally.

Fans understandably loved the moment. "Hell yeah! That thing sounds amazing every time," one fan commented on Instagram, while another added: "Lawson pulling up like a boss in the Ford Raptor."

"This Raptor is always the best at the showcases!" wrote another commenter, and someone else posted: "Give me ALL the off-road meets F1 collab."

The striking arrival comes as part of Red Bull's new partnership with Ford from 2026 onwards. After parting ways with Honda at the end of 2025, Red Bull joined forces with Ford in the Red Bull Powertrains project.

Since the new partnership began, the Red Bull and Racing Bulls drivers have had the opportunity to enjoy some of Ford's best machinery in various fun collaborations. Four-time champion Max Verstappen and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad raced Fords from over the last 100 years in a challenge shared in a video titled F1 Driver Race Oldest To Newest Cars. 

Other fun collaborations have included Yuki Tsunoda's drift challenge with James Deane and Isack Hadjar tackling a rally-raid time trial in the Raptor T1+ with Dakar racer Mitch Guthrie Jr.

"This is such an exciting chapter in Ford’s history," said Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley of the new partnership. "Over the past 20 years, Red Bull has succeeded in changing the landscape of Formula One, and it has done so by being determined to do things differently, an ethos that is very much emulated in the Red Bull Ford Powertrains partnership and with the title sponsorship of the Red Bull Ford Academy Programme."