Red Bull skips shakedown, RB22 testing delayed until Barcelona

Red Bull Racing will not run a shakedown of its 2026 RB22 before the first winter test in Barcelona, meaning Max Verstappen and rookie Isack Hadjar won’t get seat time until at least 26 January. The team is preserving one of its two allotted filming days for the test itself, leaving the car’s reliability and performance still unproven. Meanwhile, sister outfit Racing Bulls will hit the track in Imola to gather early data on the new power unit.

Why it matters:

• Skipping a shakedown removes valuable early‑stage data on engine reliability – a key risk factor for Red Bull’s new power unit.
• Verstappen and Hadjar lose precious development mileage, potentially widening the gap to rivals who have already logged test kilometres.
• Using a filming day for the official test limits media exposure ahead of the season launch.

The details:

• RB22 debut – slated for the Barcelona‑Catalunya winter test; teams may run on three of five available days, so Red Bull could still delay beyond Jan 26.
• Filming day rules – a maximum of 200 km may be covered on special test tyres; Red Bull chose to keep that slot for the official test rather than a private shakedown.
• Racing Bulls shakedown – will take place at Imola, where the team will also start collecting baseline data on the new power unit.
• Driver concerns – Isack Hadjar told GPblog the team is “guarded about engine reliability – we can’t arrive too confident, we need to stay cool.”
• Technical outlook – Red Bull’s technical chief expressed optimism about the new engine but admitted “the biggest unknown is how it behaves under full load.”

What's next:

• The earliest Red Bull track time is Jan 26, but the team could use any of the three remaining test days up to early February.
• Racing Bulls’ Imola shakedown will deliver the first real‑world data on the engine, informing Red Bull’s set‑up work for Barcelona.
• If reliability holds, Red Bull could start the 2026 season with a fresh power‑unit advantage; if not, early‑season grid penalties or performance shortfalls could jeopardise their championship push.