Isack Hadjar marked a superb return from injury with third place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, adding another significant chapter to a Formula 1 journey that has taken him from tears on his debut to increasing maturity alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull. If further confirmation were needed, the young Frenchman’s Baku performance strengthened the argument that he has become the strongest team-mate Red Bull has placed alongside Max Verstappen over the past two years.
Since its dominant 2023 season, Red Bull has struggled to find a driver capable of coming close to Max Verstappen’s results on a consistent basis. Several careers have felt the consequences, with Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda among those to occupy the difficult second Red Bull seat.
For Isack Hadjar, being placed in the same car as the four-time world champion, sharing the same garage and joining Red Bull in only his second Formula 1 season represented a considerable gamble. It was the kind of challenge that could easily have damaged a young driver’s developing career rather than accelerated it.
Isack Hadjar’s difficult beginning and the tears of his F1 debut
Isack Hadjar’s Formula 1 story within the Red Bull organisation had hardly begun in ideal circumstances.
A spin at Turn 2 on the formation lap of his debut Grand Prix left Isack Hadjar devastated and in tears in front of the television cameras. The moment also drew a harsh response from Helmut Marko, who described the scenes as “embarrassing crying”.
The Paris-born driver, however, has since shown that adversity does not easily overwhelm him.
Isack Hadjar demonstrated that throughout his rookie season, recovering from the disappointment of his opening race and ultimately outperforming Liam Lawson over the course of the campaign. His performances were enough to show that he deserved the Red Bull race seat he now holds alongside Max Verstappen.
Isack Hadjar shows maturity on dream Baku return
That resilience was visible again in Baku. Isack Hadjar returned from a wrist injury, reportedly suffered during boxing training although the precise cause was never officially confirmed, with the added security of knowing that Red Bull had already renewed his contract for the 2027 season.
His comeback could hardly have gone better. Isack Hadjar finished third behind George Russell and Max Verstappen in Azerbaijan, immediately returning to the podium and underlining Red Bull’s confidence in retaining him for another season.
His maturity was also evident in the way he communicated with the team during certain phases of the race. Isack Hadjar made it clear that he believed he could match Max Verstappen’s pace, and at times potentially go faster, without allowing those messages to create unnecessary tension.
There were no reckless attacks or attempts to force the issue against his team-mate. Instead, Isack Hadjar remained focused on securing the best possible result for Red Bull, an approach that illustrated how much he has developed since the emotional beginning to his Formula 1 career.
The Baku result also strengthened Isack Hadjar’s position within a season in which Red Bull has again had to measure every second driver against Max Verstappen, one of the most demanding benchmarks on the Formula 1 grid.
Red Bull places no restrictions on Hadjar after wrist injury
With his successful return, Isack Hadjar appears to have fully earned the team’s respect. Red Bull has not prevented him from continuing boxing training or taking part in other activities despite the wrist injury that kept him away from racing.
Asked about the situation, Isack Hadjar made clear that he accepts responsibility for managing those risks himself.
“There are no restrictions from the team after the injury, I’m not five years old. Next time I’ll simply be more careful.”
It is a response that reflects the confidence of a driver who now feels established in Formula 1 rather than someone simply trying to survive his first season. From the tears that followed his debut mistake to a podium on his comeback in Baku, Isack Hadjar’s progression has been rapid.
With his Red Bull future secured for 2027 and another strong result now behind him, the next stage will be to continue proving that he can handle the unique challenge of racing alongside Max Verstappen without allowing that comparison to define or derail his own career.
The broader schedule now moves on from Azerbaijan as the championship continues through the closing stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
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