Barcelona Day 2: Verstappen triggers red flag as rain hits F1 test
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is a four-time F1 world champion
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc had the track to themselves as rain arrived ahead of schedule on Day 2 in Barcelona.
A brief red flag triggered by Verstappen, wet-weather running, and an unofficial Leclerc 1:20.8 lap were among the highlights of the morning running on Day 2 of 5 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in action on Barcelona Day 2 morning
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The F1 2026 pre-season unofficially got up on running on Monday as Isack Hadjar reportedly topped Day 1 of 5 in Barcelona. With this a behind-closed-doors test, information reaching the media was limited, this even more true on Day 2. However, important, unconfirmed updates emerged throughout the morning via unofficial sources.
Not long after the track had gone green at 0900 local time, Verstappen got his first go behind the wheel of the Red Bull RB22 in Barcelona, only to trigger a brief red flag.
Talk of a smoking Red Bull was quickly overruled, with the Dutchman instead reported to have simply gone through the gravel, resulting in a brief delay.
With surveillance helicopters reportedly prowling the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Leclerc pumped in a 1:20.8 once the track back to green, as Verstappen soon re-joined the Ferrari driver on track.
Since rain was forecast for Tuesday afternoon, Mercedes and Haas ruled themselves out of the day’s running; teams are allowed to participate in any three of the five days of running.
Haas confirmed that rain was a possibility for much of the remainder of the week.
It showed up earlier than scheduled, and midway through the morning it was widely reported at the track.
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Fortunately, this did not spell the end of the action, as both Leclerc and Verstappen returned to the circuit to experience these new Formula 1 cars on wet tyres.
Leclerc was said to have registered a best time of a 1:46 on the wets, before conditions began to improve, allowing him improve to a 1:37.501, with reports of a 1:32 following.
The Monegasque clocked up 64 laps, per unofficial sources, during the morning, with Verstappen hitting 27.
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