Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

Hadjar ready for Melbourne redemption on Red Bull Racing debut

16:26, 20 Feb

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byKada Sarkozi

Isack Hadjar believes he is ready to take on his first race with Red Bull Racing in two weeks.

"So it was never boring, to be honest!"

- Isack Hadjar

Entering the 2026 season, Max Verstappen will have a new teammate at Red Bull Racing. After a strong first season with Racing Bulls in 2025, Hadjar earned a promotion to the Austrian energy drink brand's senior team in Formula 1.

The Frenchman had multiple sessions cut short during testing, which made preparation more challenging.

He said: "I mean, out of six sessions, we missed two, so it's quite a bit. But we always make compact and make the most of the other runnings we got to build up. So it was never boring, to be honest.

quality-hadjar-and-verstappen-have-in-common

Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen - Photo: Race Pictures

"So yes, I feel as ready as I can heading into Melbourne. The guys have been very good at making the most of the tests. We've been through so much test items."

Therefore, Hadjar believes he is well prepared for this next challenge in Melbourne. Last year's race did not go so well for him, after he crashed out on the formation lap in wet conditions.

"So yes, I'm very glad with the understanding of the car, so I'm happy," Hadjar concluded.

Verstappen helped Hadjar a lot

The young driver also explained he has enjoyed working with Verstappen so far. "I try to make sure the direction we need to go in is clear. The work with Max has been very good. He's very open so far, so it's good to have him by my side."

Follow the final pre-season test session with GPblog's liveblog here!