Hadjar's crash to have far-reaching consequences for Verstappen and Red Bull?

The exact damage from Isack Hadjar’s slide-off is unknown. Thanks to pictures taken by photographers from afar, outside the circuit, it’s clear that there was substantial damage to the rear of the RB22. The rear wing was broken, and there may also have been considerable damage inside the car. That meant new parts had to be flown in, adding further costs. All in all, it was a crash that adds up on the balance sheet.

Although the cost cap has been raised for 2026, partly due to expected development costs, budgets are not unlimited. Every penny counts. So a crash like Hadjar’s is something Red Bull certainly can’t use right now, because the money that could have gone to further development now must be spent on a spare part for the first test.

Knowing that the test days in Barcelona are primarily a shakedown and that most teams only start dialing in performance in Bahrain, it’s possible that Red Bull replaced damaged parts with pieces that would only have been used in Sakhir. A rear wing designed solely for Barcelona surely wasn’t mass produced.

While Red Bull Racing had to open its wallet, the financial damage for a team like Williams after the past week is much greater. That team had so many issues that new parts had to be manufactured just to get the car ready.

The fact that this only became clear at a very late stage likely led to parts being made that will never be fitted on the car. Money wasted in hindsight—funds that can’t be used for the rest of the season.

Of course, every Formula 1 team sets aside a budget for unexpected costs. Crashes and setbacks are accounted for. This early in the season, however, Williams and Red Bull would have preferred not to dip into that fund.

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