Isack Hadjar relishes Red Bull challenge alongside Max Verstappen
Isack Hadjar’s second Formula 1 season has brought a demanding new challenge after Red Bull promoted him alongside four-time World Champion Max Verstappen. The French driver has occupied a seat that has proved difficult to retain over the years, but his progress has continued despite the pressure of competing directly with Verstappen.
Hadjar’s impressive debut campaign in 2025 included a podium at Zandvoort and drew the attention of Red Bull’s senior management. In 2026, he has gradually adapted to the demands of being Verstappen’s teammate, a role he has described as both difficult and motivating.
Hadjar’s podium at Monaco was eventually confirmed, while he claimed another last weekend in Azerbaijan. The result came during his most competitive weekend yet for Red Bull, as he challenged Verstappen despite having missed the three preceding races with a wrist injury.
Hadjar explains what it is like to race Verstappen
Speaking on the latest episode of the official F1 podcast Beyond the Grid, Hadjar described the opportunity to compete against Verstappen in equal machinery as a rare learning experience.
“I’m probably facing the prime of the prime of the level you can achieve in Formula 1 and he’s just next to me in the garage. To experience this at my age, this early in my career, I’m one very, very lucky guy,” said Hadjar.
“He’s a very, very kind guy. We get along really well. It’s good to work with him. I’m grateful because he gives me so much to work with, to improve, which probably no one else can give. So just for that, I’m thankful and it’s great.“I would say it’s exactly what I expected Max Verstappen to be on the track. I had an idea of how good he was and it translates really well. What I have in my mind that I want to achieve on track, he kind of does it. But there’s always a difference between what you’re aiming to do and what you actually deliver.
“There’s always a little gap sometimes, but he’s constant, he doesn’t like really have low moments. I would say, it’s just like no mistake. He’s always at the right time, the right place as well. He creates his own luck a bit.
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“But I love the challenge. I love going into every session knowing that he’s going to set a benchmark that I need to match and I need to overcome. It’s just exciting. It changes from everything I’ve had my whole career.
“Let’s say on a track, you have like 15 corners and maybe there’s one corner you master, or two, three, four, five corners, you do really, really well. But he matches you there and then on the others, he keeps that same level.
“And then over the lap, he makes the lap time difference. I wouldn’t say I look at the data and I’m like, ‘I can’t reproduce this.’ It’s how often he does it. That makes the big difference at the end. It’s like he has no peak, it’s flat. It’s up there, but it’s flat. It’s what makes him such a tough driver.”
Red Bull confirms Hadjar for 2027
Before Hadjar’s strongest weekend of the 2026 season in Baku, Red Bull confirmed that it would retain his services for 2027. Verstappen also backed the decision, adding further support to Hadjar’s position within the team.
Hadjar’s ambitions extend beyond establishing himself as Verstappen’s teammate. The 2025 Zandvoort podium and his 2026 results at Monaco and Azerbaijan have demonstrated his ability to fight at the front, and he now hopes to turn more competitive performances into additional podiums and race victories.
He said the difference between occasional front-running pace and regular contention comes down to refining several small details, including race starts, tyre management during the opening stint and qualifying margins.
“I think so far now I’ve been doing a good job at being there,” said Hadjar on his performances so far.
“But there’s still that thing missing… There are a few things that I need to align a bit more. Sometimes it can be a race start that we compromise.
“Sometimes it’s that first stint with the heavy car killing the tyres a bit early, being two positions up the grid in qualifying, you’re missing half a tenth, and then you have a different Sunday unfortunately. It’s all these little things you can align like Max does, and then you’re in contention.”
Why This Matters
Hadjar’s development is taking place under one of the most demanding conditions in Formula 1: competing in the same Red Bull machinery as Verstappen while learning from a driver he regards as exceptionally consistent. His contract extension through 2027 gives him additional time to close the small performance gaps he has identified and convert strong weekends into more regular front-running results.
The next stage of Hadjar’s progress will focus on execution across an entire race weekend. Improving starts, qualifying performance, first-stint tyre management and consistency could determine whether he remains a podium contender or advances to regular challenges for victories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What podiums has Isack Hadjar achieved?
Hadjar scored a podium at Zandvoort during his 2025 debut campaign and later secured podiums at Monaco and Azerbaijan during the 2026 season.
Who is Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull teammate?
Isack Hadjar is Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull. Hadjar has described competing against the four-time World Champion as a major challenge and an important opportunity to improve.
How long will Hadjar remain with Red Bull?
Red Bull confirmed before the Azerbaijan weekend that it would retain Hadjar for the 2027 season.
The latest episode of Beyond the Grid is available through the podcast’s audio player and preferred podcast platforms. Previous episodes spanning every decade of F1 are available in the dedicated Beyond the Grid library, and the podcast can also be watched on the F1 YouTube channel.
