P1racenews AI automatic summary:
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.
Former F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr., brother of Max Verstappen’s partner Kelly, shared insights into Red Bull’s pre-season testing. Red Bull made progress during the five-day shakedown test in Barcelona in January, where the RB22 first ran. Despite being unwell, Verstappen completed 145 laps at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, his first time testing the team’s power unit. Piquet Jr. revealed that Verstappen was pleasantly surprised by the RB22’s early development and reliability, suggesting that teams are intentionally holding back pace to avoid regulatory issues, as shared in the Pelas Pistas podcast.
