After a hefty setback in Barcelona, Red Bull has got its test programme back on track. Following Isack Hadjar’s crash on Tuesday the team was forced to miss two test days. Max Verstappen — who still had a full day owed to him — was forced to watch on because of damage to the RB22. On Friday he returns to the circuit, now that the necessary spare parts have arrived and the car is serviceable again.
The trouble began late on Tuesday, when Isack Hadjar in the new RB22 slammed hard into the wall at Turn 14. The Red Bull sat in the garage after that, simply because crucial parts for the repair were not immediately available. That changed on Thursday; the spare parts reached the circuit and the team had sufficient time to rebuild the car for the final day in Barcelona.
Verstappen’s ability to ‘just’ drive again was confirmed on Friday via social media. For the world champion it’s a welcome opportunity to rack up mileage after he was limited to only half a day on Tuesday due to persistent rain. The Dutchman stopped on 27 laps. Despite the enforced interruption, the mood inside Red Bull remains notably positive. Hadjar already left a productive impression on opening Monday, even if that didn’t produce any top times. Lap times have improved since then, although that still tells us little about Red Bull’s true pace for now.
