Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull promotion: Can he succeed where Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsunoda failed?. Isack Hadjar faces the challenge of Red Bull’s second seat in 2026.

Can Isack Hadjar break the curse of Red Bull’s second seat?

The Austrian squad has historically struggled with managing Max Verstappen’s teammates. Could Isack Hadjar be the driver to change that narrative in 2026?

The Formula 1 season set to start in March 2026 promises to be revolutionary. Teams are preparing to run their cars and drivers during private pre-season testing in Barcelona. Key dates for these tests are scheduled and closely watched by fans and insiders alike.

Among all the teams competing in 2026, aside from Cadillac, only the Red Bull family is introducing changes to its driver line-up. Arvid Lindblad will join Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls, while Isack Hadjar is promoted to the Red Bull factory team alongside Max Verstappen. The one leaving the roster is Yuki Tsunoda, who departs after five seasons in Formula 1. Although Tsunoda remains part of the Red Bull family for 2026, he becomes yet another driver who struggled to succeed in one of the grid’s most prestigious teams. Hadjar, despite his youth and promising future, will be determined to avoid the fate of his former teammate.

The perfect moment for Hadjar

Hadjar’s promotion, announced in December 2025, could not have come at a better time. Regulation changes have historically offered drivers a unique opportunity to step into new roles with fresh expectations. With countless unknowns and innovations across all teams and drivers, no one is excluded from the challenges ahead. In particular, 2026 represents one of the most significant regulatory overhauls in modern F1 history. This environment creates an ideal starting point for Hadjar, who now has the chance to relaunch his career in one of the most complex teams of recent years.

No other driver paired with Max Verstappen since 2019 has been given an opportunity of this scale. Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda all joined Red Bull either outside a major regulation change or, in Albon and Tsunoda’s cases, after the season had already begun. Consequently, Hadjar likely has the best chance among this group to perform in his first season with Red Bull.

What Isack Hadjar brings to 2026

After an outstanding 2025 season, Hadjar’s promotion to the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team was widely expected. The Paris-born driver has demonstrated an exceptional ability to learn quickly, adapt from mistakes, and continuously improve. Despite a tightly contested grid last season, securing a podium with the VCARB in his debut year after just 15 races is a remarkable achievement.

Hadjar is fully aware that he is stepping into one of the most demanding challenges of his young career. The notorious history of Red Bull’s second seat is a slight source of concern. However, his preparation for the 2026 season is far more advanced than last year, thanks to extensive simulator sessions and the experience gained throughout 2025. As Max Verstappen’s new teammate, Hadjar could finally end the negative streak of drivers unable to succeed in Red Bull’s second seat.