Red Bull is already looking ahead to the 2026 Formula 1 season with clear ambitions and a new talent set to line up alongside Max Verstappen. With the promotion of Isack Hadjar, Laurent Mekies has outlined what the team expects from the young French driver, who has been at the centre of a rapid and surprising development during his rookie campaign.
From early struggles to a first podium
Isack Hadjar arrives at Red Bull after a debut season that was anything but straightforward. A spin on the formation lap of the Australian Grand Prix, made even more difficult by wet conditions, appeared to signal a challenging year ahead. Instead, the Frenchman responded with maturity and determination, recovering strongly to score valuable points and eventually secure his first Formula 1 podium at Zandvoort.
Confirmation of Red Bull’s confidence in him arrived just days before the Abu Dhabi season finale. At only 21 years old, Hadjar has been chosen to replace Yuki Tsunoda in 2026, while the Japanese driver will move into a test and reserve role shared between Red Bull and Racing Bulls.
Mekies: “Not a destination, but a new starting point”
Reflecting on Hadjar’s 2025 campaign, Laurent Mekies did not hide his enthusiasm for the progress shown by the young driver:
“Isack has had an incredible first season. There is no doubt that, in terms of his starting point – where he was in January – the level was exceptional,” Mekies said.
The Red Bull team principal then highlighted the philosophy that has long defined the Milton Keynes-based squad:
“We strongly believe not only in raw talent, but also in the ability of drivers to grow. We have seen many champions evolve over the years, doing things they had never done in the car just a few races earlier. We saw the same this year with Isack: we saw him do things in the car that he was not doing in the three races before,” he explained.
Looking ahead to the 2026 Formula 1 season, Laurent Mekies was clear about the expectations placed on Hadjar and the path Red Bull wants to follow with him:
“We expect – and we would like – him to continue on this path. We do not see this as a finishing point, but as another starting point to keep growing, to impress us and to surprise us. That is what you expect in the second year, the third year and maybe even the fourth. This is the journey we will take together,” Laurent Mekies added.
For Isack Hadjar, the move to Red Bull represents both a huge challenge and a unique opportunity. Developing alongside the most dominant driver of his generation offers the chance to accelerate his growth and prove that he can become a key figure in Formula 1’s future.
For Laurent Mekies and the Red Bull team, 2026 is not viewed as a destination, but as the beginning of a longer journey built on trust, talent and the ability to surprise race after race.
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