The VCARB 02 represented an incremental development over its predecessor, featuring a revised body design, updated sidepods, modified ground-effect elements, and a new boxy airbox shape. Most bodywork components were not visually interchangeable with the earlier car.
The car was powered by the Honda RBPTH003 power unit, continuing the partnership between the Red Bull family of teams and Honda Research and Technology that had defined the previous generation of machinery. The 2025 season marked the conclusion of this arrangement; from 2026, both Racing Bulls and Red Bull Racing were to switch to Red Bull Powertrains engines.
The VCARB 02 was initially driven by Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar. Liam Lawson, who had driven for the team across eleven races in 2023 and 2024, returned mid-season to replace Tsunoda from the Japanese Grand Prix onward. Lawson's move to Racing Bulls came after he was demoted from the main Red Bull outfit following disappointing results in the opening two rounds of the 2025 season in Australia and China.
The car's livery was unveiled on 18 February 2025 at The O2 Arena in London during the F1 75 Live event, alongside the reveals from all other teams. The 2025 design represented a significant departure from the previous season, adopting a solid white base with smaller blue charging bull patterns concentrated on the rear of the car. The livery drew positive comparisons to the 2021 White Bull livery used on the Red Bull RB16B at the Turkish Grand Prix, and was voted a fan favourite by supporters.
Special liveries were applied at several events through the year. At the Miami Grand Prix, the cars ran a design inspired by the Red Bull Summer Edition white peach flavour, with wheel covers styled to resemble the top of the can. A graffiti livery was used at the British Grand Prix, and a chameleon-effect design promoting Visa's Chameleon Card appeared at the United States Grand Prix.
The most significant result of the VCARB 02's competition year came at the Dutch Grand Prix, where Isack Hadjar finished third, scoring his first Formula One podium. The result was also the team's first overall podium since the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when the team competed under the Scuderia AlphaTauri name.
The VCARB 02 closed a chapter in Racing Bulls history as the last car to carry Honda RBPT power. Hadjar's podium in the Netherlands demonstrated the team's capacity to compete at the front of the midfield and provided a strong platform for the team as it moved into a new power unit era. The car's clean white livery was among the more distinctive designs of the 2025 grid and helped re-establish the team's visual identity after several seasons of more complex graphic schemes.