Max Verstappen concluded his final day of running with Red Bull in Barcelona feeling satisfied, if not yet fully convinced.
After a fragmented and frustrating start to his pre-season preparations, the four-time world champion finally enjoyed a full, uninterrupted day behind the wheel to close out the team’s shakedown programme.
The numbers told part of the story: a reported 118 laps on the final day alone, a stark contrast to his earlier, weather-hit outing earlier in the week. But for Verstappen, the value lay less in the lap count and more in the clues gathered from Red Bull’s bold new package.
“The first morning I didn’t get to do too many laps with the weather basically, but today was good,” the Dutchman explained.
“I did a lot of laps, we learned a lot. Still a lot of things that we want to look into and do better, but that’s normal I guess.”
A New Era Under the Engine Cover
This was obviously no ordinary test for the bulls. Alongside sweeping regulation changes, Red Bull is embarking on one of the most ambitious projects in its history: running its own power unit, developed with Ford support.
For a team that entered Formula 1 just over two decades ago as a customer operation, the shift to manufacturer status represents a leap into the unknown.
©RedBull
That context framed Verstappen’s measured optimism.
“In general for us with the new engine, to do the amount of laps that we did is very nice and it’s a good start for us. So, yeah, positive, but it’s still very early days.”
Earlier in the week, opportunities had slipped through his fingers. Monday’s programme was handed entirely to new team-mate Isack Hadjar, while Tuesday morning’s mixed conditions limited meaningful running before an afternoon crash by the young Frenchman sidelined the car until Friday.
The final day therefore became a compressed crash course in understanding both car and power unit.
Encouraging Signs, Unfinished Business
Despite the inevitable teething troubles, Verstappen sensed a solid foundation forming beneath him as he pounded around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
When pressed on what he learned specifically about the new engine, he struck a careful balance between confidence and caution.
“Still a work in progress, but I think we’ve hit the ground running quite well with those things,” he said. “It’s still a very complicated formula I think for everyone, so there’s still quite a bit of work to do, but it’s normal.”
If Barcelona was about first impressions, Verstappen’s verdict was clear: not perfect, but promising.
Red Bull may not yet wear the favourites’ tag, but after a long Friday in the cockpit, their champion left with valuable data, growing belief, and a sense that the real story of this new era is only just beginning.
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