Red Bull revealed an ‘innovative’ part on Max Verstappen’s 2026 car at the Barcelona shakedown test

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Max Verstappen completed his first laps in Red Bull’s new car for the 2026 regulations at the Barcelona shakedown test this Tuesday, before teammate Isack Hadjar crashed.

Hadjar set the pace on Day 1 of the Barcelona shakedown test, as the 21-year-old registered a total of 108 laps at the wheel of the Red Bull RB22 on Monday. Verstappen then took over at the start of Day 2, but Hadjar returned to the cockpit to sample the car in wet conditions.

Red Bull saw Hadjar complete a further 52 laps on Tuesday, but his session came to an early end after crashing backwards into the tyre barrier at the last corner. The damage to the rear of the RB22 may force Red Bull to miss the rest of the test due to a likely lack of spare parts.

Verstappen only penned a total of 27 laps during his maiden outing in the RB22 on Tuesday. The 28-year-old also brought out the red flags after an early trip through the gravel, but the Dutchman was able to continue before later switching onto wet tyres after the rain arrived.

Should Red Bull be worried about Isack Hadjar’s testing crash?

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Max Verstappen used Red Bull’s ‘innovative’ front wing at the Barcelona shakedown test

Hadjar’s crash on Day 2 of the Barcelona shakedown test risks costing Verstappen a chance to enjoy a full day in the Red Bull RB22 before the official tests in Bahrain on February 11-13 and 18-20. Yet Verstappen’s outing on Tuesday revealed an interesting part on Red Bull’s car.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the 2026 F1 engine and aero regulations

According to Motorsport.com, Red Bull fitted an ‘innovative’ front wing concept on the RB22 for Verstappen’s laps in the rain at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Red Bull have created a curved endplate that twists at the bottom, along with adding a curl at the outermost area.

The main body of Red Bull’s front wing is predominantly straight, except for a slight curve at the bottom. Red Bull designed their front wing in such a way to manage the outwash effect, in a bid to push turbulent air away from the front wheels and improve their overall airflow.

Isack Hadjar’s Day 2 crash could bring Red Bull’s Barcelona shakedown to an early end

Rain is still on the radar ☔️ Should F1 ease up on the three-day testing limit?

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The front wing that Verstappen tested on Day 2 of the Barcelona shakedown marks another part on Red Bull’s car for the 2026 F1 regulations that has caught the eye. Hadjar’s outing in the RB22 on Monday also left rival F1 teams baffled by Red Bull’s sidepod concept for 2026.

Red Bull hit the track on Day 1 with very small sidepods on the RB22, as their new car made its debut after the Milton Keynes outfit elected against staging a private shakedown prior to heading to Barcelona. It remains to be seen if Red Bull have any more tricks up their sleeve.

Team principal Laurent Mekies noted after Hadjar’s crash with only 30 minutes remaining on Day 2 that Red Bull were unsure whether they would be able to repair their car and take any further part in the shakedown. Red Bull still have one of their three days of track time to use.