Verstappen surprised Red Bull progress – Piquet
Feb.10 (GMM) Max Verstappen emerged from Formula 1’s Barcelona shakedown quietly encouraged by Red Bull’s new 2026 car, according to insider comments from his almost-brother-in-law Nelson Piquet Jr.
With Verstappen entering a pivotal season – his run of titles now over, Red Bull debuting its first in-house power unit, and persistent speculation linking him to Mercedes or Aston Martin for 2027 – every signal from early testing is being closely watched.
Speaking on the Pelas Pistas podcast, Piquet Jr said Verstappen was struck by how much mileage the car managed immediately.
“He was amazed at how far the team had come with the new car,” Piquet said. “Max is sometimes a pessimist, but here he noted that they were able to complete more than 100 laps straight away. He was delighted with how much the car had done since leaving the pits.”
Verstappen’s productivity was notable given the circumstances of the Barcelona test. Rookie teammate Isack Hadjar was first to drive early in the week before suffering a crash, after which Verstappen returned for the final day while reportedly battling flu symptoms.
Despite the encouraging mileage, Piquet stressed that laptimes from Barcelona are essentially meaningless.
“The balance of power hasn’t yet been determined,” he said. “Teams have been slowing down to avoid political problems with the FIA. They’re keeping an eye on teams that seem to have a significant advantage, so many teams have eased off the gas significantly.”
Piquet suggested that this self-policing has been particularly evident among front-running manufacturers.
“In terms of speed, it’s hard to say anything,” he explained. “Everyone is holding back a little. Especially, according to the rumours, Mercedes’ technology may have developed further than others, so they’re also not standing out.”
Verstappen himself reportedly made no comment about Hadjar’s crash, focusing instead on the overall state of the programme and the car’s basic robustness.
“All in all, Max was positively surprised,” Piquet said. “But really by the number of laps the car managed from the moment it came out of the pit box.”
Attention now turns to Bahrain, where testing will finally become more transparent. According to De Telegraaf, Verstappen will drive all day Wednesday during the first official group test in Bahrain. Thursday is scheduled for Hadjar, before the two share duties on Friday.
A second three-day test follows on February 18-20, just weeks before the season opener in Australia.
The post Verstappen surprised Red Bull progress – Piquet appeared first on NewsOnF1.