As Max Verstappen’s teammate, Hadjar will occupy one of the most pressured positions in Formula 1, and not just because Verstappen sets a high bar in terms of sheer speed and voracious, 24/7 competitiveness. Red Bull driver advisor Helmut Marko has long steered Red Bull’s driver development program along unforgiving lines, and each new level brings with it greater scrutiny from a man not famous for being in touch with his emotions.
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And Marko has already been very clear about how Hadjar needs to improve his game in 2026.
“For his part, the only thing we can blame is that he has to control his emotions,” Marko said in Abu Dhabi.
Then, laughing, he added: “I would say that the steering wheel has no fault.”
Watching Hadjar vent his frustration against the unfeeling (and expensive) carbon fiber surface of one of his car’s main control interfaces has become a predictable coda to any on-track incident in which he’s been the unfortunate victim, most recently when he went off qualifying in Qatar and crashed into the wall. It’s difficult for a driver to flagellate himself while still strapped to the cockpit of an F1 car, so the steering wheel will have to do.
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Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls team
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls team
Hadjar sets very high standards for himself, which perhaps explains moments like this. When he was promoted from Formula 2 to F1 with Racing Bulls, having finished second in the 2024 championship behind Gabriel Bortoleto, it was understood that there were those within the Red Bull management who doubted that the Frenchman had what it took to succeed at the highest level.
At the time, the decision on whether Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda would fill the vacancy left by the firing of Sergio Perez was made very late and seemed to take up most of the management’s bandwidth. Hadjar’s promotion seemed almost an afterthought, as if he were simply the next taxi in line.
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But aside from his trip to the barrier on the formation lap of the Australian Grand Prix, Hadjar has exceeded the expectations of both the experts and Red Bull management. It is understood that the decision to promote him again, replacing Tsunoda as Verstappen’s team-mate, was made after his confidence and assurance on the podium at Zandvoort, although his ability had been obvious before that.
Isack Hadjar, RB F1 team accident
Isack Hadjar, RB F1 team accident
After that misstep in Australia, he was on pace to finish in the points in China, only for Racing Bulls to not get the memo that this would be a one-stop race instead of two stops. Several other potential points have fallen through due to engine problems or, in Qatar, the front wing suffered a rapid unscheduled removal resulting in a puncture.
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Hadjar’s disappointment after that race was alleviated by being informed of his promotion.
He still has to adapt to Marko’s school of tough love. The fact that Marko spoke to the media about Hadjar’s talents – particularly his ability to attack and set lap times immediately on unfamiliar tracks – rather than patting the man on the back is a matter of open humor in the paddock.
“My quality doesn’t stand out in front of me, that’s for sure,” Hadjar said when asked about this ahead of the Qatar GP.
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“It’s not something he does, but the fact that he said it means a lot and I agree with him.”
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls team
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls team
In addition to controlling his emotions, Hadjar will have to curb his tendency to not leak when he mixes self-criticism with his assessment of the team’s mistakes or deficiencies in its equipment, as in the post-Qatar media pen where he said: “I’m still very angry. I’m going to look at what I should have done better at the start and see why our car is breaking down on its own.”
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Drivers can afford to be forceful when they are delivering on the track. But even in his most frustrated moments this season, Verstappen has reserved his most critical pronouncements for general comments about the car’s performance, consciously avoiding mention of any team mistakes.
As Tsunoda has shown this season, the transition from the relatively benign Racing Bulls car and the lower level of public scrutiny the team faces can be difficult. Especially when the expectation of the number two driver is to be close enough to Verstappen to support him in the battle for the drivers’ title, and at the same time accumulate points so Red Bull can fight for the constructors’ championship. He barely overtook Ferrari for third place in 2025, largely due to Verstappen’s renaissance.
“I think he expected it (the promotion),” Marko said. “And of course I was more than happy.
“Now he has to comply.”
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