Red Bull’s Preseason Testing Hits a Snag with Isack Hadjar’s Crash
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies described Isack Hadjar’s crash on the second day of preseason testing as “unfortunate,” adding that the team was still assessing the knock-on impact for Red Bull’s remaining day of testing in Barcelona later this week. The test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which is closed to fans and media, presents all teams with the opportunity to hit the track on three of five days this week, with Red Bull opting to run on the opening two days.
According to Mekies, the team is still evaluating the damage caused by the crash and its implications for their remaining test day. “The priority right now, as we speak tonight, is to assess the damage on the car and to see what does it give to us in terms of opportunities to run in the next day,” he said. “We only have one day left, so we have to make sure we place that card carefully and it’s an analysis that will take still a few hours.”
Incident Details and Aftermath
New-recruit Hadjar set the fastest time on a dry day of testing on Monday with 107 laps, but after sharing the second day with teammate Max Verstappen, the French driver finished the wet afternoon session with the rear of his car in the wall at the final corner. The incident occurred in tricky conditions, with Mekies noting that “it was a very tricky condition this afternoon, so very unfortunate that it finished that way, but it’s part of the game.”
Because the track is not open to media, it was not entirely clear what caused the accident or how extensive the damage was. However, Mekies emphasized that the team is taking a cautious approach to ensure they make the most of their remaining test day. “The checklist is too long to be completed in just a few days in Barcelona, so it’s always going to be a matter of priority and trying to be flexible and adapt your programme as difficulties come out or when you find interesting directions that you should pursue,” he explained.
Red Bull’s Testing Progress and Power Unit Performance
Despite the setback, Mekies expressed pride in the team’s progress, particularly with their new power unit. “I have to say in terms of what we were expecting from the power unit on these first couple of days, I can only repeat how proud we are from everybody back at base to have managed to give us something that we could actually run with,” he said. Verstappen drove the new Red Bull in the morning, completing 27 laps, while Hadjar added 51 before his accident, bringing the team’s total to 185 laps over two days.
Mekies acknowledged that the journey ahead is long, but the team is satisfied with their initial progress. “It doesn’t change the size of the journey in front of us, but certainly it’s a first moment that everybody in Milton Keynes should be proud of,” he said. Following this week’s test in Barcelona, two further three-day tests are scheduled in Bahrain before the first race of the season in Australia on March 8.
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