Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

'Ill' Verstappen reacts to returning to action on final day at Barcelona

19:35, 30 Jan

1 Comments

byKada Sarkozi

Max Verstappen promises to feel better for the Bahrain tests after driving today while being ill.

"I'm a bit sick. Ill. I'll feel better at the start of the season."

- Max Verstappen

"Yes, I think overall pretty decent, I mean the first morning I didn't get to do too many laps also with the weather basically," Verstappen began while coughing after the final day of the first pre-season test of the season.

The Dutchman returned to action today for the first time since he drove on Tuesday morning in wet conditions. After Isack Hadjar's crash during the afternoon, additional car parts had to be flown in from Milton Keynes. The RB22 was ready to run again on Friday.

Verstappen added: "But today was good, I did a lot of laps, we learned a lot, still a lot of things that we want to look into and do better but that's normal I guess.

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

"In general for us with the new engine to do the amount of laps that we did is very nice and it's a good start for us. Positive but it's still very early days."

Speaking about the key takeaways regarding the new Red Bull Ford power unit, he continued: "Still a work in progress, but I think we've hit the ground running quite well with those things. It's still a very complicated formula, I think, for everyone. There's still quite a bit of work to do."

The 2026 season resumes in a couple weeks' time in Bahrain. Verstappen, who is currently ill, promised to feel better by then.

"I'm a bit sick. Ill. I'll feel better at the start of the season," he concluded.

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