Max Verstappen makes telling Red Bull test prediction ahead of 2026 F1 season

The four-time world champion is eyeing a fifth title amid new rules and regulations this year

Max Verstappen believes Red Bull will spend more time in the garage than out on track at the first pre-season test in Barcelona in a fortnight’s time.

New chassis and engine regulations this season threaten to shake up the pecking order, with Red Bull building their own power unit for the first time, alongside American automotive giant Ford.

Red Bull reveal their 2026 livery at a launch event in Detroit on Thursday night but, speaking to Swiss publication Blick, four-time world champion Verstappen has predicted the early stages of pre-season to be troublesome.

“I think that during the first tests in Barcelona starting on 26 January, we’ll be spending more time in the garages than out on the track,” he said.

“None of us have any idea about the new car or the engine. Hopefully, we’ll all be a bit wiser after the two tests in Bahrain in February.”

Verstappen missed out on a fifth consecutive championship last time out after his brilliant comeback fell just two points short, with McLaren’s Lando Norris crowned for the first time.

Verstappen, 28, has a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season and while he has committed his future in the short-term, early progress from the opening race in Australia will be critical as he plots his route to another title.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen is eyeing a fifth title this year (REUTERS)

Red Bull will be the first of the now 11 teams to reveal their 2026 car livery, with Isack Hadjar also on the ground in Michigan for the launch event.

Hadjar is Verstappen’s fourth different teammate in 15 months, with Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda all failing to hold on to their seat.

The first of three pre-season tests takes place in Barcelona on 26-30 January in a private window for the teams, before two official three-day tests in Bahrain (11-13 February and 18-20 February).

The 2026 season starts with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 8 March.