Max Verstappen’s initial thoughts on Red Bull’s RB22 for the 2026 F1 season have been revealed by someone very close to the four-time world champion.
Nelson Piquet Jr. has offered a rare glimpse into Red Bull‘s pre-season testing preparations, revealing that Max Verstappen was pleasantly “surprised” by the RB22’s early development.
Former F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr., the brother of Max Verstappen’s long-time partner Kelly, has offered a glimpse into the progress made by Red Bull during pre-season testing so far.
Red Bull was present at the end of January for F1’s official five-day shakedown test in Barcelona, marking the first running of its RB22.
Verstappen, despite being unwell, completed 145 laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya — his first time testing the team’s very own power unit.
Speaking on the Pelas Pistas podcast, Piquet Jr. was initially reluctant to discuss pre-season testing details, citing the programme’s secretive nature and the numerous uncertainties surrounding teams’ true performance levels.
However, when pressed by co-host Christian Fittipaldi about any insights from the four-time world champion, Piquet Jr. disclosed some telling details about Red Bull’s progress.
Piquet Jr. suggested teams are deliberately sandbagging to avoid unwanted regulatory attention: “So many teams have taken a lot of throttle back.”
Returning to Verstappen’s reaction, Piquet Jr. emphasised the Dutchman’s surprise at the RB22’s reliability from the outset.
“He was really surprised at the number of laps the car completed when it first left the pit box on day one,” Piquet Jr. added.