Steiner: This factor will help Hadjar thrive as Verstappen's teammate

The 60-year-old highlighted how talented a racing driver Hadjar is, before noting that the young French driver will enter the team under more favourable conditions compared to Verstappen’s previous teammates.

“I believe Hadjar is a really good racing driver. Secondly, he has the advantage of the new regulations. This allows him to start from scratch with Max. [Liam] Lawson and [Yuki] Tsunoda, however, were put in a car with which Max had a lot of experience, and they weren’t able to catch up quickly,” Steiner said to Austrian outlet Krone.

Steiner also stressed how closely matched the F1 field will be, a factor that will further favour Hadjar.

“Moreover, the field was so closely matched. Hadjar has better conditions in this respect, and the motto must be that Red Bull finds a talent they believe can become nearly as good as Max,” the former Haas F1 team boss continued.

Ahead of the final race of the 2025 season, Red Bull Racing confirmed that Hadjar will replace Tsunoda as Verstappen’s teammate in 2026.

The 21-year-old French driver, in his rookie season, recorded a podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix and finished ahead of teammate Lawson in his debut year.

Earlier, Hadjar himself expressed confidence in performing very well as Verstappen’s teammate in 2026.

The young driver highlighted the new regulations, which provide a reset in car development, as crucial to his adjustment.

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