Max Verstappen’s 2026 testing comments leave Red Bull fans with low expectations

 Red Bull Racing wrapped up their final day of on-track work for 2025 this week, but Max Verstappen was not part of the action.

Red Bull Racing completed their last laps of 2025 on Tuesday, but Max Verstappen was absent as the team handed the post-season testing duties to newly promoted Isack Hadjar. The Frenchman logged 111 laps in the RB21 mule car, taking full responsibility for the session as Verstappen’s season ended early.

With sweeping regulation changes arriving in 2026 — including new power units, revised aerodynamics and smaller tyres — preparations begin far earlier than usual. Pre-season testing will start behind closed doors at Barcelona on January 26, giving teams their first official look at next year’s machinery. And while Red Bull are already working to calm nerves about their 2026 project, Verstappen has cautioned fans not to expect fireworks straight away.

Verstappen expects ‘more time in the pits’ than on track during 2026 pre-season

A new report from Blick outlines what the 2026 overhaul will bring: narrower cars, the removal of DRS, and an entirely fresh aerodynamic philosophy intended to improve overtaking. Teams such as Ferrari are already refining their concepts, but Red Bull face the added challenge of producing their first in-house power unit in partnership with Ford.

Speaking to Blick during the Abu Dhabi weekend, Verstappen admitted that early testing may be slower and far less visible than fans hope. “At the first test in Barcelona at the end of January, we’ll probably spend more time waiting in the pits than sitting in the car,” he said.

The Barcelona test will not be open to the public or media, meaning fans must rely on team communications until the paddock reconvenes in Bahrain for two further sessions ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. With anticipation sky-high for the sport’s biggest regulatory shift in decades, Verstappen’s comments will dampen expectations about how much running teams will manage in the early days.

Hadjar’s encouraging first outing offers some reassurance for Red Bull

Verstappen will begin 2026 with his fourth teammate in 18 months as Isack Hadjar steps up from Racing Bulls. And while Hadjar set only the 21st-fastest time during the post-season test, the purpose of the day was familiarisation rather than performance.

Reflecting on his debut as an official Red Bull driver, Hadjar said: “It was great to get my first laps in as an official Oracle Red Bull Racing driver. It’s nice to know that I’ll be able to come back in January and already have met and worked with more of the team.”

He noted that the RB21 mule car is “totally different” from the 2026 model he will drive in Barcelona, but emphasised how valuable it was to gather tyre data and settle in with the crew. “They welcomed me really well and I already feel comfortable with this group… it’ll definitely help over the coming months as we build towards the new season.”

For Verstappen, Hadjar’s smooth first steps are a positive sign — but his warning stands: the earliest phase of 2026 testing will likely involve more problem-solving than performance runs, and fans may need to be patient before seeing the true pace of Red Bull’s revolutionary new car.