Max Verstappen battled illness during gruelling Barcelona F1 test as he…read more
Max Verstappen has disclosed that he was far from full fitness during Formula 1’s recent Barcelona shakedown, admitting that illness made an already demanding week of testing even tougher for the reigning world champion.
Red Bull completed their allotted three days of private running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, covering a total of 303 laps between Verstappen and rookie team-mate Isack Hadjar. While Hadjar carried much of the early workload, Verstappen’s running was heavily disrupted, forcing him to wait until the final day to complete a more representative programme in the new RB22.
Speaking to F1.com at the conclusion of the test, Verstappen was clearly unwell, coughing as he openly acknowledged his condition. Asked how he was feeling as preparations for the 2026 season continue to ramp up, the four-time world champion replied candidly: “I’m ill. I’m a bit sick,” before laughing off the situation. He added confidently: “I’ll feel better at the start of the season.”
Despite his illness, Verstappen remained focused on extracting as much data as possible from the limited track time available. Prior to Friday’s session, the Dutchman had completed just 27 laps in the RB22, all of which came in wet conditions earlier in the week. Poor weather on Tuesday morning significantly reduced his initial running, leaving Red Bull short on meaningful dry-weather data.
Further disruption came later on Tuesday when Hadjar suffered a heavy crash, hitting the barriers and causing substantial damage to the car. The incident forced Red Bull to halt running while replacement parts were urgently flown in from the team’s Milton Keynes base, effectively sidelining Verstappen for several more days.
By the time Verstappen finally returned to the cockpit on Friday, Red Bull were keen to make up for lost ground. The final day proved far more productive, allowing Verstappen to complete a lengthy run programme as the team began to better understand the characteristics of both the new chassis and the 2026-spec power unit developed by Red Bull Powertrains in partnership with Ford.
Reflecting on the week, Verstappen struck a measured but positive tone. “Overall, pretty decent,” he said. “The first morning on Tuesday I didn’t get to do too many laps because of the weather. But today was good – I did a lot of laps, and we learned a lot.”
However, he was quick to underline that there is still plenty of work to be done, which he views as entirely normal at this early stage of development. “There are still a lot of things we want to look into and improve, but that’s expected,” Verstappen explained. “With the new engine, to do the amount of laps that we managed was very nice. It’s a good starting point for us.”
Unofficial timing data from the Barcelona shakedown suggests Verstappen was the quicker of the two Red Bull drivers. He recorded a best lap of 1:17.586, placing him seventh overall on the combined timesheets, while Hadjar posted a 1:18.159, which was ninth-fastest.
Nevertheless, Verstappen and Red Bull were keen to downplay the significance of lap times at this stage. Pre-season testing is notorious for being misleading, with teams running vastly different fuel loads, engine modes, and development programmes. Reports suggest that rivals such as Mercedes and Ferrari experimented with low-fuel, qualifying-style runs on their final days, further distorting the overall picture.
For Verstappen, the focus remains firmly on progress rather than outright pace. Battling illness, disrupted running, and a crash-induced delay, the Barcelona shakedown was far from smooth. Yet Red Bull leave Spain encouraged by their reliability and the early signs from their new power unit package, setting the stage for a crucial next phase of development as the countdown to the 2026 season continues.
