Isack Hadjar has described Red Bull's performance during the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain as better than expected. The French driver highlighted the team's new power unit as reliable and powerful. He completed 87 laps on the second day despite an early issue with the car.
The first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain provided an early glimpse into Red Bull's preparations for the upcoming season. On the opening day, Max Verstappen led the team's efforts, completing more than 130 laps in the RB22, the first car to feature Red Bull Powertrains' debut engine.
Isack Hadjar, stepping up from Racing Bulls for his rookie season with the main team, took over on Thursday. The 21-year-old encountered a problem with the car during the morning session, keeping him in the garage for much of the time. He only emerged just before the session ended but made up for lost time in the afternoon, logging 87 laps and finishing fifth on the timesheets.
On Friday, Verstappen handled the morning session before handing duties to Hadjar for the afternoon. Speaking about the car, Hadjar expressed surprise at the progress since the Barcelona shakedown. "Very surprised already from the Barcelona Shakedown to here, like how many laps we managed to achieve," he said. "The power unit seems so far reliable, powerful, so I’m very happy so far."
Hadjar noted differences from the previous year's car, describing it as easier to push to the limit, though slower overall, lighter, and smaller. "It kind of feels similar in every slow to medium-speed range corners, but then in the high-speed it’s quite different," he added. "But so far, already I get to yesterday push it to the limit, kind of, so I’m happy."
Regarding the team's targets, Hadjar was optimistic, particularly about the power unit. "If anything it’s going a bit better than we hoped for, more on the PU side," he explained. "Then on the balance, understanding of the tyre, we still have some work to do which is normal – I mean, a lot of work to do, but I’m excited."
As he prepares for his first full season with Red Bull, Hadjar views the test as a positive beginning. "Already I feel like it’s a good start so far, so it’s a good way to start a big, big challenge," he said with a smile.
