It almost went unnoticed, the debut of Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, the driver called upon this season to fill a role that is far from easy and one that has already challenged countless drivers before him.
Simply being the teammate of Max Verstappen could make even the most experienced drivers uneasy, but racing for a team that, over the last ten years, has become the stronghold of the four-time world champion represents a mountain that appears almost insurmountable.
Last season, Red Bull initially decided to rely on Liam Lawson, though his experience at Milton Keynes was short-lived. Yuki Tsunoda then took over, and with his prior F1 experience, he was considered the right driver to support Max. We all know how that ended.
However, while the New Zealander and the Japanese driver struggled to find consistent performance, Hadjar was starting to collect impressive results, ultimately earning the call-up from the factory team.
With less than a week to go before the start of the new season, the question remains whether Hadjar will be able to handle the pressure that a team like Red Bull experiences every race weekend, and, most importantly, whether the team itself will be able to create the right environment—given past history—around the French-Algerian driver.
Laurent Mekies on Hadjar: “I see him very well, but it will also depend on us”
Speaking to Motorsport, Red Bull Sporting Director Laurent Mekies expressed confidence in his new driver, highlighting an aspect that was often missing under Christian Horner’s management.
“So far he has done everything correctly, showing the right approach in terms of commitment and personality. Every other day he is at the Milton Keynes headquarters, closely involved with the team.”
“Between the two Sakhir tests, he returned to the simulator; he is leaving nothing to chance. On the eve of the trip to Melbourne, I see him very well.”
The Red Bull team principal then added an important point. Clearly, Hadjar will need to prove that what he showed last season was not just a stroke of luck.
However, this time Red Bull will also need to work to put him in the right conditions: “It will be up to us to create the proper environment around him when pressure and expectations arrive, but he has the personality to do a good job.”
Mekies’ vision clashes with Horner’s past philosophy
The change at the top appears to have also altered Red Bull’s internal philosophy. Under Christian Horner, the second seat often seemed more of a regulatory necessity than a technical asset worth real investment.
Emblematic in this sense are the words of Sergio Perez about his own experience at Milton Keynes: “In our first meeting, Horner explained to me that the car was tailor-made for Max Verstappen and that the team used two cars only because the regulations required it.”
This approach over time contributed to accentuating the internal imbalance. Under Mekies, the message appears different: the second driver is no longer just a supporting role for Max Verstappen, but a pilot integrated into both the technical and human project of the team.
The goal is not merely to survive alongside the Dutchman, but to build an environment in which Hadjar can also have a tangible impact on Red Bull’s development path and future successes.
The transition from Christian Horner to Laurent Mekies marks a fundamental shift in how Red Bull treats its second driver. By moving away from a “Max-only” focus and actively building a support system for Isack Hadjar, the team is attempting to break the cycle of failed teammates that has plagued them for years. Whether this new cultural integration leads to on-track results will be the biggest story to watch as the 2026 season kicks off in Melbourne.
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