Max Verstappen has revealed a worrying fact about Red Bull's upcoming pre-season testing in Barcelona ahead of the 2026 Formula One campaign.
The 2026 Formula One season is now less than two months away with the first race of the season taking place at Melbourne's Albert Park Circuit on March 8.
With a host of changes set to be introduced in the upcoming season, including the addition of an 11th team, expectations are perhaps higher than ever.
Before the season begins, the first testing is set to take place behind closed doors at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya across five days, starting on January 26 and ending on January 30.
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But before the testing has even started, Verstappen has already caused concerns about Red Bull's chances of competing next season as he's predicted exactly how he expects testing in Barcelona to go.
Although teams are not obligated to run at Barcelona, it is expected that all 11 teams will take the chance to test their new cars and engines, with teams allowed to use the track for a maximum of three days of running each.
It is not yet clear when Red Bull will decide to take their cars on track, but when they do it will be particularly interesting as the F1 team will drive with their own engines this year thanks to their new relationship with Ford.
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But Verstappen clearly doesn't think he's going to get much time working with the new car in Barcelona, as he made a worrying confession about the pre-season testing.
“None of us have any idea about the new car or the engine,” Verstappen admitted when speaking to Swiss outlet Blick.
“I think that during the first tests in Barcelona starting on 26 January, we’ll be spending more time in the garages than out on the track."
Verstappen's comments come after Ford’s global chief Mark Rushbrook confirmed that the four-time champion had been showing a keen interest in the development of the car and has been visiting the factory to see how it has been progressing.
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“Yes, I’ve been to the factory a few times,” he said. “But as I said, everyone is still in the dark," Verstappen admitted.
Thankfully, Verstappen and Red Bull will thankfully get plenty of time to work with the 2026 car during the final two testing sessions ahead of the season, set to take place at the Bahrain International Circuit.
The first testing in Bahrain will take place from February 11-13 while the second session on the circuit will be from February 18-20, with both sessions set to be televised.
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“Hopefully, we’ll all be a bit wiser after the two tests in Bahrain in February," Verstappen added.
Topics: Formula 1, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Motorsport
Ben McCrum