ISACK HADJAR’S BARCELONA CRASH: A ROOKIE MISTAKE OR RED BULL'S 2026 WARNING SIGN?
Isack Hadjar crashes the RB22 in Barcelona while Lewis Hamilton clocks his first laps for Ferrari. Get the full Day 2 report here.
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull’s recruit, crashed his car in the rain during the second day of F1 pre-season testing in Barcelona. He’s only 21, just wrapped up his rookie year, and already has a promotion lined up for 2026. On his first lap out on intermediate tyres—right after swapping from full wets—he lost it at the last corner and slammed into the barriers.
Red Bull’s keeping things quiet. The test is private, no independent media around, and they haven’t said a word about the crash. Still, people trackside saw what happened: the track was slick, drizzle still coming down, and Hadjar spun out backwards into the wall.
Up until then, Red Bull looked solid. They’d picked up where they left off on day one, and Max Verstappen even got his first taste of the car that morning. Verstappen had his own moment too—slid off at Turn Five on his out lap—but managed to keep going.
The weather played havoc with everyone’s plans. Only Red Bull and Ferrari bothered to run on Tuesday; teams only get three of the five days, so they have to pick their moments. McLaren, the reigning champs, weren’t ready until late in the morning and, looking at the weather, decided to hold off until Wednesday. Now they’ll run through the last three days.
Ferrari split their day between Charles Leclerc in the morning and Lewis Hamilton in the afternoon. They racked up 123 laps—almost the equivalent of two full races. Leclerc admitted it wasn’t ideal: “It’s not been the best conditions because it was a bit rainy, but we did our programme because we are not focusing on performance.”
This year, F1 has thrown out a bunch of new rules—fresh chassis, engines, tyres, and fuel. The hybrid system is more important than ever, so energy management is going to be a big deal. But Leclerc says it’s too soon to draw any conclusions about the new car.
“We haven’t pushed any bit of the car just yet; it was all about doing a proper system check on track,” he said. “We’ll know more as we rack up miles. First impression? Managing everything is going to be more challenging for us drivers—maybe that’ll spice things up. For now, we’ve ticked off the first checks, everything went as planned, and next is figuring out performance. That comes later in the week, once we see how everything works together.”
Ferrari needs a turnaround after a rough 2025—no wins for either Leclerc or Hamilton. The new rules are their shot at closing the gap. Leclerc’s upbeat: “I’m really excited to see what the others have and how we stack up when we start pushing. This year, every team’s got a chance to try something bold, maybe pull ahead. I hope we’re the ones who get it right, but no matter what, we’ll give it everything to get Ferrari back on top.”
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
