F1 2026: Verstappen's new team-mate Isack Hadjar breaks his silence on $514k Barcelona crash

Verstappen and Hadjar mid-discussion on a paddock walk — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

Max Verstappen's new F1 team-mate breaks his silence on $514k Barcelona crash

Isack Hadjar's crash in Barcelona proved costly

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 1 February 2026 13:57

Max Verstappen's 2026 F1 team-mate Isack Hadjar has reflected on his crash during the five-day Barcelona shakedown earlier this week.

Hadjar's crash late during Tuesday's running in Barcelona was one of the biggest talking points from the shakedown, after his meeting with the barriers caused significant damage to the RB22. The reported damage of the crash was around $514,000

Verstappen and Red Bull sat out the Wednesday and Thursday of the shakedown — at that stage the Dutchman only had 27 laps worth of experience in the 2026 car — as they awaited spare parts from Milton Keynes.

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These arrived in time for Friday, however, and between Hadjar and Verstappen the pair managed to accumulate a successful amount of mileage, covering 303 laps in the end.

Hadjar reflects on Barcelona crash

Red Bull released a Barcelona round-up following the final day of the shakedown on Friday, where Hadjar provided an insight into his first outing with the team.

Reflecting on his mixed week, Hadjar said: "It was nice to have a good day on Monday. It was very productive and we managed to do a lot more laps than we had expected, everything went pretty smooth and we had only minor issues. It was quite impressive considering it was our first day with our own power unit.

The 2025 rookie then moved on to explaining his shakedown crash, saying: “Unfortunately, on Tuesday, just after switching from wets to inters, I lost control of the car in the final corner and I know the aftermath wasn’t ideal for the team.

“The positive is that I have already started to understand and work on things in the car, there are still a lot of things to tweak of course, but it has been steady so far. These cars are different, very different, there is definitely a lot less load in general and it is a bit more predictable compared to the previous generation, they are a bit more straightforward.

“It is easier to play around with them and on the PU side there are a lot more options for the driver to play with. I couldn’t have prepared for this season any better and I am hoping to come into the year strongly, but we are definitely not done with the work yet, I am learning every day."

Four-time world champion Verstappen also summarised the shakedown, and revealed the emotional response in the garage following the debut of Red Bull's first power unit, the DM01, named after the brand's late founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

“It has been nice to be back on track this week, the first morning I had in the car I couldn’t do too many laps because of the weather but Friday was good," he said.

"We did a lot of laps today [Friday] and that was really the key, we learned a lot and there are, of course, still a lot of things that we want to look into but it’s a good star. So much work has gone into this power unit over the last few years and to see it then go into the car and on the first day, immediately do so many laps was great to see. There were a lot of emotional faces in the garage and that was very special.

"Everything is still a work in progress but we have hit the ground running quite well. We need time to understand the engine and make set up changes, you try to put as many laps on the board and try as many things as you can in the day. I think we are doing that and this is what this shakedown was about and what we will continue to do.

"It is a complicated formula for everyone to get right, which means there is still a lot of work to do before we head to Bahrain. We will go again there and keep the work going.”

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Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen 2026 regulations Isack Hadjar pre-season testing