There is one Formula 1 driver who has attracted surprisingly little attention after the first half of the 2026 season – and, strange as it may sound, that may be the best compliment Red Bull could give Isack Hadjar. For years, the second seat alongside Max Verstappen has been one of the team’s biggest problems. So far, however, Isack Hadjar is delivering within the parameters expected at Milton Keynes, despite being only in his second Formula 1 season.
The significance of that achievement becomes clearer when looking at Red Bull’s recent history. Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda all struggled to provide the consistent support the team needed alongside Max Verstappen. Isack Hadjar has not transformed himself into a challenger to the four-time world champion, but that was never the immediate objective. His job is to stay sufficiently close, score heavily and make Red Bull a genuine two-car team again.
Isack Hadjar brings stability to Red Bull’s difficult second seat
Turn the calendar back roughly a year and Yuki Tsunoda’s future already appeared uncertain after only a few months with Red Bull. The Japanese driver had replaced Liam Lawson as the team’s latest attempt to reverse the fortunes of a seat that had produced little success for several drivers, including Sergio Perez during the negative spiral that began in the second half of 2023.
Red Bull had returned to its traditional approach by promoting from within its own driver structure. Liam Lawson’s promotion, however, appeared rushed given his limited Formula 1 experience, and he was replaced just as quickly after only two races. Yuki Tsunoda’s opportunity also lasted less than a full season before Isack Hadjar was given the chance.
The Frenchman’s promotion had already appeared increasingly likely before the middle of his 2025 campaign with Racing Bulls. A particularly convincing second half of the season, including his maiden Formula 1 podium at Zandvoort, only strengthened his case and helped him win the internal battle for the Red Bull seat.
It was both an honour and a considerable responsibility. That side of the Red Bull garage had become such a recurring problem that Isack Hadjar’s successful adaptation has already prompted the question of whether he has finally broken Red Bull’s long-running second-seat curse.
Hadjar is delivering exactly what Red Bull needs
The RB22 is clearly a very different car from the Red Bulls of previous seasons. The new technical regulations have also increased the gaps between different areas of the grid, meaning Red Bull is less likely to become trapped in the midfield except on isolated occasions.
Across the first 11 races, Isack Hadjar has scored points eight times and finished at least sixth on seven occasions. Circumstances and retirements for rivals have helped on some weekends, including Barcelona and Canada, but the underlying objective remains clear: Red Bull does not require Isack Hadjar to beat Max Verstappen.
Instead, the team needs him to contribute meaningful Constructors’ Championship points while remaining within an acceptable performance gap to his team-mate. That is precisely where Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda struggled.
In previous seasons, Red Bull regarded a qualifying deficit of no more than roughly three tenths of a second as an acceptable target. Averaging the opening half of 2026 – including sessions affected by technical problems and compromised weekends such as Belgium, where grid penalties influenced the programme – Isack Hadjar’s gap to Max Verstappen has been around two tenths.
That puts the Frenchman comfortably within the window Red Bull had hoped to see. The broader comparison between the two drivers has also shown that Isack Hadjar can stay relatively close to Max Verstappen over one lap, even if the Dutchman’s advantage remains more pronounced over a race distance.
Hadjar has stepped up when Verstappen could not capitalise
There have also been weekends when Isack Hadjar has been ready to take advantage precisely when Max Verstappen was unable to maximise Red Bull’s potential.
The first example came immediately in Australia. Max Verstappen was eliminated in Q1 because of a technical problem, while Isack Hadjar produced an excellent qualifying performance to take third on the grid. His race ultimately ended with an engine failure, but the performance demonstrated his ability to respond when an opportunity appeared.
A similar situation developed in Monaco. Max Verstappen retired early with a power unit problem, while Isack Hadjar crossed the line in a podium position. The final classification subsequently became the subject of a dispute after Alpine successfully challenged Pierre Gasly’s penalties, with McLaren and Red Bull appealing the revised outcome.
That controversy does not diminish the quality of Isack Hadjar’s performance. The French driver had to manage technical difficulties of his own during the race and still put himself in position to capitalise.
Spa showed Hadjar at his best for Red Bull
Spa-Francorchamps arguably produced Isack Hadjar’s strongest race of the season. Starting 21st after taking power unit penalties, he climbed through the field to finish sixth while maintaining highly competitive pace throughout the Grand Prix.
The recovery earned strong praise from Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies.
“I think it’s his best race. It’s his best race with us, without question. And it’s not just an isolated peak. He’s been a little bit better in every single race in terms of speed. So he brings speed every time he drives. In Belgium, actually, it was another step because he was very, very fast from FP1,” Laurent Mekies explained.
The Spa weekend was particularly valuable because it demonstrated more than raw qualifying speed. Isack Hadjar had to manage traffic, strategy and a recovery through the field, reinforcing the progress he has made since joining Red Bull.
Hadjar admits Verstappen is still on another level in races
That does not mean Isack Hadjar’s season has been flawless. Miami was one obvious example. He paid for an early race mistake after already being forced towards the back by his qualifying disqualification, which resulted from a technical infringement for which Red Bull accepted responsibility.
The Frenchman also knows there is still one important area where Max Verstappen holds a clear advantage: race management. While Isack Hadjar believes his qualifying speed is already strong, he sees his team-mate’s ability to manage an entire Grand Prix – both in terms of pace and reading how the race is developing – as the next benchmark he needs to reach.
“To be honest, I haven’t really surprised myself this year. I’ve just been driving at a very high level, definitely better than last year. It’s normal because it’s my second season.”
“I would say Max has been really impressive in the races. I think my qualifying pace has been pretty good, but the way Max manages the races is on another level. That’s what I’m focusing on and working on.”
That self-assessment is perhaps another encouraging sign for Red Bull. Isack Hadjar is not presenting his progress as a finished product. Instead, he understands where Max Verstappen is still stronger and has identified race execution as one of his next areas of development.
Isack Hadjar strengthens his case for a 2027 Red Bull seat
Officially, Isack Hadjar does not yet have a guaranteed Red Bull seat for next season. However, the praise coming from within the team indicates that he is moving in the right direction, while his wider progress throughout the 2026 season has steadily strengthened his case for another year alongside Max Verstappen.
That would represent an important change for Red Bull. In recent seasons, the team repeatedly reached the closing stages of the championship with uncertainty surrounding the identity or performance of Max Verstappen’s team-mate. With Isack Hadjar, there is finally a sense that the question may not require another dramatic answer.
There are still areas to improve and Max Verstappen remains the reference, particularly over a full race distance. But Isack Hadjar is scoring points, staying close enough in qualifying and capitalising when opportunities arise. For a Red Bull second driver, being able to complete half a season without becoming the centre of a crisis may be one of the strongest signs of success the team has seen in years.
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