The first week of pre-season testing has wrapped up, but for Max Verstappen it was far from straightforward. The Dutch driver revealed that he did not feel well during the five days of track activity in Barcelona, making this early start to the 2026 season particularly challenging for Red Bull.
The four-time world champion took to the track in the RB22 at different points during the sessions, making his first appearance on Tuesday morning. However, due to Isack Hadjar’s serious accident in the afternoon, Max Verstappen was unable to complete additional laps until Friday. On that day, he drove the car for the entire program, ultimately recording the fifth fastest time overall with a 1:17.586.
Hadjar’s incident inevitably affected the work of the Milton Keynes team, making the week more complicated than anticipated. Despite this, Max Verstappen emphasized that the overall outcome remained positive.
As reported by RacingNews365, the Dutch driver stated: “We learned a lot, even though I couldn’t drive much during the first morning. Now we will analyze all the data.”
He continued: “It’s clear there are still many areas where we want to improve, but that’s normal. Overall, the fact that we managed to complete so many laps with a new engine is positive. It’s a good start, but we’re only at the beginning of the year.”
During the interview at the end of Friday’s session, Max Verstappen did not appear in peak condition, confirming that he had been unwell throughout the week: “At the start of the season, I’m sure I’ll feel better…”
Formula 1 will return to the track in Sakhir from February 11 to 13. During these three days, it will only be possible to follow on-track activity in the final hour of each afternoon session.
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