Hadjar’s promising growth after a challenging start
However, Hadjar’s journey has not been entirely smooth. The most embarrassing moment came in Melbourne, the first race of the year, when he crashed into the wall during the formation lap, triggering sharp criticism from Helmut Marko. From that moment on, though, the young driver reacted positively, stringing together solid results and crowning his progress with an impressive third place at the Dutch Grand Prix.
This on-track response allowed him to remain in contention for Red Bull, scoring 51 points compared to Lawson’s 38 and Tsunoda’s 33. During several weekends, the Racing Bulls team even appeared more competitive than Red Bull itself, to the point that some jokingly suggested Max Verstappen should switch to the junior car to ensure maximum competitiveness.
Jokes aside, the performance of the satellite team highlighted Isack Hadjar’s maturation, showing his ability to seize every opportunity to position himself among the candidates for the big step up. This context made the final choice far from obvious. The risks are real: 2026 will open a completely new technical cycle, with Red Bull deploying a fully in-house designed power unit thanks to Red Bull Powertrains.
No one, not even at Milton Keynes, really knows the team’s level when the new era begins. Entrusting a near-rookie, no matter how promising, could be a double-edged sword. History under Christian Horner’s era is full of examples of young drivers arriving with high expectations only to be burned out quickly.
Marko compares Hadjar to Senna and Schumacher
Helmut Marko explained what convinced him to bet on the Frenchman: “Yes, I think he has world champion potential. Most of the circuits were new to him, but after three laps he was already competitive. I’ve closely followed Schumacher and Senna: all three had the same talent. They didn’t need fifteen laps or endless testing. They arrived, bam, and they were there.”
Marko’s words might seem a bit exaggerated, but it is not surprising. Recent history, however, does not encourage optimism. Since Daniel Ricciardo left in 2018, Red Bull’s second seat has been a bottomless pit. It’s clear to everyone: Gasly, Albon, Pérez, Lawson, and Tsunoda were the “victims.”
Drivers who never came close to Max Verstappen’s level, often overwhelmed by the pressure of an environment that does not forgive mistakes. Isack Hadjar inherits an extremely complex task: to become the first truly competitive teammate for the Dutchman in almost a decade. Yet, despite the challenges, there is a growing sense in Milton Keynes that he may finally be the right man.
Hadjar combines natural speed, rapid adaptation, and driving aggression that Marko openly compares to Senna. It may be premature to speak of restored internal balance, but Red Bull hopes the French driver can finally be the right partner for Max, with Laurent Mekies seemingly more centralizing than Horner—or will he also become a “head cutter” of Helmut Marko?
Leave a Reply