Max Verstappen may remain deeply dissatisfied with Formula 1’s new generation of cars, but Isack Hadjar believes one area of the four-time World Champion’s performance remains on “another level”. Despite Red Bull no longer possessing the dominant machinery of previous seasons, Max Verstappen continues to make a difference inside the team, particularly on Sundays.
That conclusion is visible in the results, but it becomes even clearer when listening to Isack Hadjar. The Frenchman is in only his second Formula 1 season and his first alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, having stepped up after his rookie campaign with Racing Bulls.
Although the atmosphere inside Red Bull may be somewhat less intense than in previous years following the departure of several influential figures, Isack Hadjar remains under constant scrutiny. Keeping pace with a driver such as Max Verstappen, who has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to impose his own style on a car, is never straightforward.
Hadjar’s first half of the season has nevertheless been encouraging, something also reflected in the wider assessment of Isack Hadjar’s progress during his first season at Red Bull.
Max Verstappen still leads Hadjar despite a much closer Red Bull battle
For now, Isack Hadjar is losing the internal battle. Taking the season’s race and qualifying comparisons together, the score stands at 11-3 in Max Verstappen’s favour in both categories.
Yet the difference between them has not been as dramatic as might have been expected. In qualifying, Isack Hadjar has generally managed to stay relatively close to his team-mate, with the gap remaining within roughly half a second. That represents an encouraging comparison given both his limited Formula 1 experience and the difficulties presented by the RB22.
This Red Bull is no longer the car Formula 1 became accustomed to seeing during the ground-effect era. It is harder to extract performance from consistently and has not given either driver the same freedom or confidence enjoyed during the team’s period of domination.
Isack Hadjar says Verstappen is ‘on another level’ on Sundays
Max Verstappen’s influence can be seen on track, but Hadjar’s own assessment perhaps explains it best. The French driver believes race management is the area in which his team-mate still possesses a clear advantage.
“I would say Max has been very impressive on Sundays, all around,” Isack Hadjar said. “I think my one-lap pace has been pretty good, but how well he is managing the races is on a different level, so that’s what I’m focusing on working on.”
The Hungarian Grand Prix provided another useful reference point. Red Bull had expected to perform better at the Hungaroring, but neither driver was completely satisfied with the balance of the RB22.
“In Hungary we all thought we would be better, but we couldn’t set up a balanced and driveable car for me,” Isack Hadjar explained. “It’s reassuring that Max gave the same feedback, otherwise I’d really be questioning myself.”
Hadjar therefore recognises Max Verstappen’s strengths, particularly over a race distance. By contrast, the Frenchman believes his own qualities are currently better reflected on Saturdays.
“I actually haven’t surprised myself this year. I’ve just been driving at a high level, definitely better than last year, and I’m doing well in qualifying,” Hadjar said. “It’s my second season, I still don’t have a lot of experience, but I’m improving.”
The RB22 appears easier for Hadjar on Saturday than Sunday
Those comments highlight an interesting characteristic of Red Bull’s 2026 season. The RB22 can be difficult to manage in qualifying, yet its race performance has often looked stronger and more consistent on Sundays.
That contrast has become particularly visible in the comparison between Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. If the RB22’s qualities over one lap can sometimes complement Hadjar’s driving characteristics, it is still Verstappen who tends to carry the team across an entire Grand Prix.
The evidence can be found in his four podium finishes this season and in the way he has repeatedly maximised opportunities despite the lack of a victory. Formula 1’s current results leave Max Verstappen without a Grand Prix win in 2026, but his ability to extract more from difficult situations remains one of Red Bull’s strongest assets.
That makes his performances particularly significant in a season when the team’s competitive position has changed so dramatically. The latest developments around the Dutchman remain central to Max Verstappen’s 2026 campaign.
Why Verstappen’s frustration with the new F1 goes beyond losing races
Hadjar’s comments also encourage a wider reflection on Max Verstappen’s attitude towards Formula 1’s new regulations. At the beginning of the season, the Dutchman complained that the championship had moved too close to Formula E and, above all, that the cars no longer allowed him to enjoy driving in the same way.
Max Verstappen even raised the possibility of leaving Formula 1 and has continued pursuing his interest in other forms of motorsport, particularly GT racing.
Many interpreted those comments as the frustration of a driver who was no longer dominating. The argument was simple: Max Verstappen was no longer winning regularly, Red Bull was no longer setting the standard and he had lost the position of superiority he had enjoyed for several seasons.
But his performances alongside Isack Hadjar suggest the issue may be more complicated than that. Even without the fastest car and despite having yet to win this year, Max Verstappen continues to extract strong results from the RB22.
When he criticises Formula 1 – and his direct way of communicating is hardly new – it therefore does not necessarily mean he is simply complaining about losing. His dissatisfaction appears rooted in the type of racing the current regulations demand.
Hamilton overtake showed the Verstappen Formula 1 still wants to see
Max Verstappen is an intensely competitive driver. Once he is on track, his objective is straightforward regardless of the commercial, financial and political interests surrounding Formula 1.
When the visor comes down, he wants to attack rather than spend an entire race constantly managing energy and operating within restrictions. His move on Lewis Hamilton during the Hungarian Grand Prix offered a perfect example.
Max Verstappen constructed the attack from the beginning of the main straight before catching the Ferrari driver by surprise and completing one of the standout overtakes of the first half of the season. Lewis Hamilton later acknowledged that Max Verstappen’s Hungary move had caught him by surprise.
The overtake illustrated the instinctive side of racing that Max Verstappen appears to miss under the 2026 regulations: identifying an opportunity, preparing an attack and committing to it rather than allowing energy-management requirements to dictate every phase of the battle.
Verstappen still needs the motivation to make a difference
When Max Verstappen criticises the current Formula 1 environment, the argument is therefore that he no longer fully recognises himself in the type of racing he is being asked to produce. The restrictions make it harder for him to express what he considers the essential nature of being a Formula 1 driver.
He needs stimulation, challenges and motivation. Simply doing something because it is required has never appeared sufficient. He needs the competitive edge that pushes him to search for more.
That is the champion who continues to emerge despite the negative aspects of Red Bull’s 2026 season. Whenever Max Verstappen gets into the car, he adds something of his own and tries to change the outcome rather than simply accept the performance available to him.
The Dutchman’s longer-term future remains uncertain. Stefano Domenicali believes he will remain on the grid in 2027, but questions persist over whether that will be with Red Bull or whether his growing interest in other forms of racing could eventually take him elsewhere. The uncertainty surrounding Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future is therefore unlikely to disappear quickly.
Before that decision arrives, his focus turns to Zandvoort, where he will once again race in front of his home supporters. Max Verstappen has already prepared for the final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, another weekend in which expectations around the Red Bull driver will inevitably be enormous.
We may not yet know where Max Verstappen’s career will take him, whether he will remain with Red Bull, move elsewhere in Formula 1 or eventually concentrate on other categories. One thing remains much easier to predict: whenever Max Verstappen races, he will continue trying to make the difference and produce something unexpected.
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