Red Bull Delayed on Day 2 of Bahrain Testing

Red Bull faced a delayed start to the second day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain due to a hydraulic leak on the chassis side, forcing the team to work on repairs while the rest of the grid logged laps. The issue, described as routine during the car build process, sidelined Isack Hadjar, who was scheduled to drive in place of Max Verstappen for the morning session.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing is a critical and limited window for teams to gather data, validate upgrades, and build reliability ahead of the opening race. Any lost track time, even for a top team like Red Bull, represents a setback in fine-tuning their package and understanding the new Red Bull Ford Powertrains unit under real conditions.

The details:

• The RB22 remained behind screens in the garage as the session began, with the team confirming the cause as a hydraulic leak.
• PlanetF1.com reported the car was not expected on track for at least the first two hours of the day as mechanics addressed the problem.
• The delay impacted rookie Isack Hadjar's planned running time, though he was anticipated to get out on track later in the morning.
• This follows a productive first day for the team, where Max Verstappen completed 136 laps—nearly two-and-a-half race distances—and set the second-fastest time, just 0.129 seconds behind Lando Norris.
• Verstappen emphasized the team's focus on learning and running through procedures with their new power unit project, stating the priority was trouble-free running and understanding the car rather than lap times.

What's next:

The team will aim to recover the lost track time with Hadjar and later Sergio Perez in the afternoon session. The reliability of the new powertrain and the car's systems will be under intense scrutiny as Red Bull works to ensure no carry-over issues exist for the final day of testing and the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.