Max Verstappen has revealed he was unwell throughout Formula 1’s closed-door shakedown week in Barcelona, adding important context to his limited mileage with Red Bull’s all-new 2026 car and Red Bull-Ford power unit.

The Dutchman confirmed to De Telegraaf that he is still struggling with illness, describing it as a lingering flu that he expects to shake before the season begins.

“I feel a bit sick. I hope that I will be fully fit again at the start of the season,” Verstappen said. “Should be.”

The admission follows a run of recent health concerns. Verstappen missed the FIA prize-giving gala late last year citing illness – a claim that raised eyebrows at the time – and around the same period spoke about worrying scans related to back problems caused by the severe bouncing of the previous generation of cars.

Despite that, Verstappen struck a cautiously positive tone about Red Bull’s first real running with its own power unit project.

“The fact that we were able to drive so much with a new engine this week is generally positive,” said the 28-year-old. “It’s a good start, but it’s also still very early in the year.”

Red Bull completed limited dry running, with Verstappen spending much of the week in wet conditions. Still, reliability from the new Red Bull-Ford package quietly impressed rivals.

“We learned a lot, after I haven’t been able to drive very much the first morning,” Verstappen added. “We will now analyse all the data. Obviously we still want to do a lot of things better, but that’s normal.”

The laptimes from Barcelona – unofficial and largely meaningless – nevertheless offered a first hint of the competitive picture. Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren looked quickest, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton ultimately setting the fastest time of the week.

Hamilton, however, played down any conclusions.

“Everyone here is incredibly positive and enthusiastic, but we’re under no illusions – we know we still have to improve,” the Ferrari driver said.
“Things went very well for Mercedes too, and I think Red Bull Racing and Haas also had some good runs. So we don’t really know what the balance of power is.”

Hamilton also warned that significant progress is still required. “Further development is crucial. We must ensure we leave no stone unturned.”

Hamilton nevertheless admitted he is enjoying the new generation of cars.
“This generation is actually more fun to drive – it’s spicy and it slips, but it’s a little easier to control,” he said, a stark contrast to how he ended 2025.

As for Verstappen’s earlier back issues, there is optimism that 2026 machinery will be kinder physically. George Russell summed it up simply: “No porpoising – which is good news for all of us, because it saves us a few years of back problems.”

With the Barcelona shakedown now complete – and Aston Martin even cancelling a scheduled filming day on Saturday – attention now turns fully to the official, open pre-season test in Bahrain.

Red Bull

Ferrari