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Red Bull Racing Evaluates Hadjar's Crash Impact in Testing

1/28/2026

Summary

Hadjar's Testing Incident

Red Bull Racing is assessing the impact of Isack Hadjar (Driver, Red Bull Racing) after his crash on the second day of preseason testing in Barcelona, with one more testing day available.
Hadjar lost control of the RB22 in wet conditions, damaging the car's rear wing and suspension.
Laurent Mekies (Team Principal, Red Bull Racing) described the incident as "unfortunate" and said Hadjar was unharmed.
Red Bull completed 185 laps over two days, with Hadjar having set the fastest time on day one.
The team remains optimistic about their new power unit's performance.

Summary

Teams' Testing Challenges

Aston Martin will miss three days of preseason testing in Barcelona, participating only on Thursday and Friday.
Williams will not attend testing at all due to delays with their 2026 car.
McLaren skipped the first day to focus on development.
The Barcelona Shakedown runs January 26–30 and is closed to media.
The next major evaluation will occur in Bahrain, where timed laps will be available.

History

Historical Context

The 2022 Formula One season marked a significant shift with the introduction of new technical regulations aimed at enhancing competition. Delayed from 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these changes led to varied preseason testing outcomes, as seen with Red Bull Racing's 185 laps compared to Williams, which missed testing entirely. This mirrors challenges faced in previous seasons, such as 2014, highlighting the sport's evolving dynamics.

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Hadjar's Testing Incident

Red Bull Racing is assessing the impact of Isack Hadjar (Driver, Red Bull Racing) after his crash on the second day of preseason testing in Barcelona, with one more testing day available.
Hadjar lost control of the RB22 in wet conditions, damaging the car's rear wing and suspension.
Laurent Mekies (Team Principal, Red Bull Racing) described the incident as "unfortunate" and said Hadjar was unharmed.
Red Bull completed 185 laps over two days, with Hadjar having set the fastest time on day one.
The team remains optimistic about their new power unit's performance.

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