Hadjar details how Verstappen made his Red Bull transition smoother

The French driver wrapped up his pre-season programme in the morning with the fifth-fastest time before handing the car over to his teammate for the final four hours of testing in Bahrain.

“I'm looking forward to (racing in Melbourne),” he said in today's press conference at Sakhir. “See what Max is going to do this afternoon, and then basically the goal for Melbourne is to make the most of the learnings, go back on the sim and correlate all that.

After early running in Bahrain suggested Red Bull held a clear edge in energy recovery and straight-line performance — prompting Mercedes team principal Wolff to label them the early favourites for 2026 — Hadjar admitted he has been impressed by the progress made by the Milton Keynes squad.

Speaking to media including GPblog, the French driver explained that the level reached by the team had exceeded his expectations, especially considering the more cautious mood surrounding the project toward the end of last season.