Overview
- The four-time champion said the January 26–30 shakedown will be spent mostly in the garage examining early data.
- F1 has scheduled the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya test behind closed doors, with each team allotted three days of running.
- Verstappen said teams have little read on pace or reliability under the radically revised 2026 regulations.
- He expects a clearer competitive picture to emerge after two Bahrain tests in February.
- Ford executive Mark Rushbrook said Verstappen has visited the Red Bull Powertrains facility several times.