Red Bull skips crucial shakedown ahead of the F1 season

Red Bull Racing has decided not to use one of its filming days before the winter test in Barcelona. The RB22 will only take to the track at the earliest on January 26, the first day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It could also be later, as teams are allowed to test on three of the five available days.

However, Red Bull’s sister outfit, Racing Bulls, will carry out a shakedown with their new challenger ahead of the Barcelona test. The car is set to make its first appearance in Imola, where the team will also begin collecting the initial data on the new power unit. It’s a significant moment, not only for the Racing Bulls drivers, but also for Verstappen and Hadjar.

Each year, Formula 1 teams are allowed to hold two filming days. This is a day on which a maximum of 200 kilometers may be driven with that season’s car. Special test tires are used for this.

At Red Bull, there is genuine optimism surrounding the new power unit, but it is accompanied by several lingering question marks. Chief among them is reliability. Until the cars hit the track, no team truly knows how the engine will behave under full load.

Speaking to GPblog at the team’s unveiling in Detroit, Hadjar admitted he shared those concerns. "Or like the engine exploding, maybe. Something like that. Let's see, but we need to be... We can't arrive too confident. It's going to be things we didn't plan that's going to happen, and we need to stay cool."

As the commencement of the 2026 season draws nearer, our Paddock Update is the place to be.

Follow and subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Spotify to stay up to date with all the happenings as they unfold, ahead of the first on-track action under the new Formula 1 regulations.

Check out the latest episode of our Paddock Update here 👇