Isack Hadjar delivers emphatic rejection of Red Bull second seat ‘curse’
Originally published by Motorsportweek
Isack Hadjar has emphatically rejected concerns he will become a victim of the troubled second Red Bull Formula 1 seat in 2026.
Hadjar arrived at Red Bull firmly under the spotlight to see how he would perform against teammate four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
Joining Red Bull has proven to be curse since 2019, as Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsuonda have discovered, all dropped by the team for failing to get close to Verstappen’s pace.
Hadjar is now the latest driver to step into the fray against Verstappen, and is so far proving to be a fast and consistent.
The Frenchman revealed that, despite his own confidence, he had concerns at the start of the season that he would struggle.
“Of course I did, in a way,” he said to F1.
“If you look at the gaps between Max’s team-mates, you’re like, ‘Well, this is weird’.
“At the same time, I’m realistic. It’s a new regulation, we have the same car.
“If I believe I’m good, I’m good, and that’s the end of the story.
“For the first three races, everything has gone how I anticipated it.”
Car struggles for Isack Hadjar and Red Bull
Reflecting on the opening three races of the year, Hadjar confirmed handing issues with the RB22, feedback mirrored by Verstappen.
But he maintained his confidence, revealing where he stands on his own targets of progress as he acclimatises to his new team.
“It’s a small sample, the car is what it is right now, it’s very hard to drive,” he said.
“But I’m not too far [away], and I’m happy with how I delivered in those first three races with the car I had underneath me.
“All in all, it’s pretty good.”
For many years, we’ve heard from the second Red Bull driver speaking of small progress, and every race as an opportunity to understand the car.
Hadjar, by comparison, is the first driver since Daniel Ricciardo to look to have a vice-like grip on racing Red Bull’s unique and challenging handling cars.