Red Bull Racing has confirmed Isack Hadjar as Max Verstappen’s teammate for the 2026 Formula 1 season, with Team Principal Laurent Mekies emphasizing that the team’s expectations extend beyond simply filling the vacant seat. The 21-year-old French driver replaces Yuki Tsunoda, who will assume test and reserve driver duties for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls following five seasons on the grid. Hadjar’s promotion comes after completing his rookie campaign with Racing Bulls, where he accumulated 51 championship points and finished 12th in the drivers’ standings across 24 races.
Hadjar’s first season demonstrated significant resilience after a difficult start at the Australian Grand Prix, where he spun off the track during the formation lap in wet conditions at Turn 2, crashing into the barrier and damaging his rear wing before the race officially began. The incident left the driver visibly distressed as he returned to the paddock, though he received support from Anthony Hamilton, Lewis Hamilton’s father. The crash meant Hadjar missed his planned debut and had to wait until the Chinese Grand Prix to compete in his first race.
The French driver recovered from this setback to deliver consistent performances throughout the remainder of the season, scoring points in multiple races and achieving his breakthrough result at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. Hadjar finished third behind race winner Oscar Piastri and second-place finisher Verstappen, marking his first podium and Racing Bulls’ first top-three finish since Pierre Gasly’s third place at the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Additional points finishes came at races including the British Grand Prix, where he secured sixth place, the Belgian Grand Prix in seventh, and the Abu Dhabi season finale where he finished sixth.
Mekies, who was appointed Red Bull’s Team Principal and Chief Executive Officer in July 2025 following Christian Horner’s dismissal, commented on Hadjar’s development throughout his rookie year. The Team Principal stated that Hadjar demonstrated exceptional raw talent from the beginning of the season and showed marked improvement in executing techniques that were not present in his driving just a few races prior. Mekies emphasized that the team does not view Hadjar’s promotion to Red Bull as a destination, but rather as another starting point for continued growth and development.
The Team Principal explained that Red Bull expects Hadjar to maintain his trajectory of improvement and continue to demonstrate progress in his second, third, and potentially fourth seasons with the team. This approach reflects Red Bull’s established philosophy of driver development, which has historically focused on nurturing talent through gradual progression rather than expecting immediate finished products. The second Red Bull seat has been characterized as one of the most challenging positions in Formula 1, with Hadjar becoming Verstappen’s sixth teammate and only Sergio Perez having lasted more than two seasons alongside the Dutch driver.
Arvid Lindblad, an 18-year-old British driver, will replace Hadjar at Racing Bulls for the 2026 season, becoming the only rookie on the grid. Hadjar qualified for the Red Bull promotion after demonstrating higher raw speed and a superior performance ceiling compared to his Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson, despite Lawson delivering greater consistency across the season. The technical regulations for 2026 will introduce new power unit specifications as Red Bull transitions from its Honda partnership to racing with its own Red Bull Powertrains engine, adding another layer of complexity to Hadjar’s sophomore campaign.
