Max Verstappen Reveals He Was Sick During Tough Red Bull Barcelona Test
Max Verstappen revealed that he was feeling sick during the private test session in Barcelona despite logging decent laps.
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Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)
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Max Verstappen has shockingly revealed that he wasn’t feeling his best during the private testing session in Barcelona. Red Bull showed up with their own power units in collaboration with Ford for the first time in Formula 1. Reportedly, Isack Hadjar suffered a major shunt, which prevented the team from participating in the final testing day.
Max Verstappen‘s first outing over the private testing session came on Tuesday morning. However, Isack Hadjar crashed his challenger in the subsequent session, and Verstappen couldn’t log any laps further. As such, the 28-year-old was able to test the car on Friday, setting the fifth-fastest lap on the final day.
Ultimately, Max Verstappen completed 118 laps around the Barcelona circuit, which could’ve been more if it weren’t for Isack Hadjar’s crash. Moreover, the Dutchman could have achieved better lap times if he hadn’t been sick over the sessions. In a recent interview, Verstappen confirmed that he felt sick throughout the weekend and hence wasn’t able to give it his all.
Speaking on the learnings from the private test session, Max Verstappen asserted that Red Bull certainly learnt a lot. Though Verstappen wasn’t able to drive enough on the first day. The Dutchman confirmed that the team would analyze the data and hoped to start the season on the right foot. Moreover, the 28-year-old noted that he would certainly start feeling much better by the start of the season.
We learned a lot, even though I wasn’t able to drive very much on the first morning. We will now analyse all the data, By the start of the season, I’m sure I’ll be feeling better…
Max Verstappen said, as reported by RacingNews365.
Max Verstappen reveals ‘many things to improve’ for Red Bull in 2026
Red Bull achieved a dramatic turnaround in pace in the 2025 season following Christian Horner‘s replacement with Laurent Mekies. Despite great learnings from the previous year, the new regulations mean that the team will have to start everything afresh. Following the initial testing sessions, Max Verstappen confirmed that there were many things they had to improve.
Max Verstappen reckoned that this was normal as all teams were in the learning stage and wanted to take in everything before the beginning of the season. Moreover, the fact that Milton Keynes was able to log so many laps on their own newly built power unit was an achievement in itself. Although the current signs are looking positive, it is still early in the year, and the full picture will be revealed later on.
It’s clear that there are still many things we want to improve, but I think that’s normal. Overall, the fact that we were able to do so many laps this week with a new engine is positive. It’s a good start, but it’s also still very early in the year.
Max Verstappen noted.
The 2026 season will be extremely exciting as none of the teams are looking to be the clear favorite for now. Red Bull will go up against the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari for the power unit, as it will certainly be a massive challenge. However, the squad is confident of its chances, partly because of Max Verstappen. Hence, time will tell which team manages to nail the regulations and set the pace for the remainder of the season. For now, all teams are at par in development, with Brackley reportedly being at the forefront.
Read More: Red Bull and Max Verstappen Braces for “Sleepless Nights” as Monumental 2026 F1 Challenge Looms
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