Red Bull impressed during the 2026 Formula 1 pre-season tests in Bahrain, with strong reliability and competitive pace for its new RB22 car. Jos Verstappen described the early signs as promising, particularly the in-house power unit. Meanwhile, McLaren faced a minor chassis issue that delayed Lando Norris's running.
The 2026 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain highlighted Red Bull's solid start under new technical regulations. The team introduced the RB22 chassis and a new power unit developed in partnership with Ford under Red Bull Powertrains. Testing in Barcelona and Bahrain demonstrated strong reliability, despite a minor disruption to Isack Hadjar's running. The car appeared well-balanced from the outset, with competitive long-run pace and healthy straight-line speed. Max Verstappen completed substantial laps with minimal interruptions, providing valuable data ahead of the season opener in Australia.
Jos Verstappen, speaking to Belgian broadcaster RTBF, expressed cautious optimism. "You never really know," he said. "Of course, you never see what is truly behind the tests, but I have to say I am satisfied with what is happening. Especially when we look at the engine. It is powerful and reliable. During the first race, we will see where it really stands." He added, "We are satisfied. A few small issues, but that is normal. There are always adjustments to be made, but for the moment, it is working excellently. It is doing a lot of mileage, so that is promising."
In contrast, McLaren encountered a small chassis issue after Oscar Piastri's morning session on the final Friday, delaying Lando Norris by two hours. Norris completed 47 laps, with a best time of 1m 32.871, and performed a strong practice start. "A good final day in Bahrain," Norris said. "We found a small chassis issue on the car at lunchtime, which meant our running in the afternoon was delayed. As a result, we didn't get the full race simulation we had planned done, but we were still able to get some important track time, especially with the practice start at the end. Overall, it's been a solid nine days of testing, and we have learned a lot about these new regulations of cars and how to extract performance from them, especially around the new power units. A huge thank you to the team for all of their work, which has meant we have set ourselves up well for Australia. I am excited to get racing."
Both teams gathered insights into the new aerodynamic and power unit rules, setting the stage for the season.
