Formula 1 in 2022: Red Bull to unveil car on February 9 – nine days before rivals Mercedes

Red Bull to become first team to unveil car for 2022 Formula 1 season; reveal will come on February 9, nine days before Mercedes; Max Verstappen edged out Lewis Hamilton in controversial Abu Dhabi finish to win 2021 title; Verstappen will be partnered by Sergio Perez again this season

Max Verstappen edged out Lewis Hamilton in an Abu Dhabi decider to win the 2021 Formula 1 title

Red Bull will become the first team to reveal their car for the 2022 Formula 1 season as they unveil the machine in which Max Verstappen will defend his crown.

Verstappen beat Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in controversial circumstances at last season’s decider in Abu Dhabi to claim his first world championship.

Red Bull will launch their 2022 vehicle on February 9, the earliest of any of the teams and nine days before rivals Mercedes.

Verstappen will once again be partnered by Sergio Perez next season – Perez finished fourth in the standings in his first campaign with Red Bull in 2021.

The 2022 design will be Red Bull’s first following a huge overhaul of the sport’s regulations – aimed at bringing the field closer and encouraging greater racing.

Red Bull’s announcement leaves only Williams and Haas to reveal their launch dates, with eight of the grid’s 10 teams having scheduled theirs.

The first pre-season test starts in Barcelona on February 23, with Verstappen opening his championship defence in Bahrain on March 20.

More to follow.