Ambitious Hadjar hopes to become teammates with Verstappen

17:41, 26 Jun

byTim Kraaij

Isack Hadjar still aims to race alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, with the Frenchman not shying away from the significant challenge that awaits him with the main team.

In recent months, there has been a lot of talk about Hadjar's impressive performances at Racing Bulls, surprising friend and foe alike by jumping up to P10 in the drivers' championship with 21 points to his name.

Now, thanks to those performances, he is already being mentioned as a potential teammate for Verstappen in 2026, with Hadjar himself definitely having the ambition to end up at Red Bull Racing.

‘’When I got signed by Red Bull four years ago, that was definitely the target, to end up in the main team," the 20-year-old started by saying in Thursday's press conference.

"I am still on my way. I am happy where I am now. I am learning a lot. But that would be the natural progression of events. There is no denying it.’’

After just missing out on the 2024 Formula 2 world title, Isack Hadjar has come into his own in Formula 1.

Hadjar as Max Verstappen's teammate?

Hadjar is not in a rush for it all to happen. As part of the Red Bull Junior Team, he has little choice, but in previous weekends, Hadjar has repeatedly expressed not wanting to rush into Red Bull. After all, Hadjar saw that Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda also faced significant difficulties there.

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Yet, there is a big opportunity for Hadjar in 2026. Yuki Tsunoda's contract expires at the end of this season, and with Honda leaving for Aston Martin, plus the Japanese driver's disappointing performances, it's highly likely that Red Bull will be looking for a new driver. In that case, it could very well turn to the next talent from the Red Bull training program.

There has been plenty of praise from people at Red Bull, especially from Helmut Marko himself, saying how surprised he has been by the Frenchman since joining the Formula 1 ranks.