The second day of Formula 1’s secretive shakedown in Barcelona belonged to the “Rainmasters.”
While most of the grid remained huddled in their garages to preserve their three-day testing duration, Red Bull and Ferrari provided a spectacular display of reliability at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Verstappen Tames the RB22
Max Verstappen finally got his first taste of the RB22 on Tuesday morning, and the session was anything but quiet. The four-time world champion initially triggered a brief red flag after a minor wobble into the Turn 5 gravel, but he quickly recovered to dominate the morning timesheets.
Before the heavy rain arrived at 10:30 AM, Verstappen clocked an unofficial best of 1:20.0, outpacing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by eight-tenths of a second. The RB22, powered by the new Red Bull-Ford DM01 engine, showed remarkable early-stage reliability, completing 27 laps in the morning.
Observers can’t help but notice the car’s aggressively slimmer sidepods and active aerodynamics, which seem designed to cut drag significantly for the new 50:50 electrical-combustion power split.
Watch Video
MV3 and the RB22 🤝🦁#F1 pic.twitter.com/y08gP8AHxZ
— Formula 1 (@F1) January 27, 2026
A Tale of Two Halves for Red Bull
As the morning gave way to noon, the weather took a turn for the worse, converting the track into a literal “shakedown.”
Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar took the wheel to gain experience in treacherous wet conditions. While the session provided invaluable data on the car’s wet-weather power delivery, it ended with a crash.
With just 30 minutes remaining, Hadjar lost control at the final corner (Turn 14), skidding through the gravel and striking the barriers backwards. While Hadjar was safe, the RB22 suffered rear-wing damage, bringing a premature end to a productive day.
Paddock Reaction and Technical Milestones
Even after the crash, insider opinions are all about Red Bull’s progress. The team has now used two of its three permitted days, having already completed 108 laps on Monday.
As the car’s cooling efficiency and electrical deployment looks stable even in the rain, Red Bull appears to have hit the ground running in the new season.
