Isack Hadjar to join Verstappen in 2026 — but Red Bull’s real decision is bigger than a driver swap
Red Bull’s relentless search for a second act alongside Max Verstappen has a new lead: Isack Hadjar. The French rookie will step up to the senior team in 2026, the latest name on a dizzying carousel that’s spun ever since Daniel Ricciardo left in 2018. But if you listen to Karun Chandhok, the headline isn’t the kid in the seat — it’s the question the team needs to answer before it builds the car.
“It’s a philosophical decision,” Chandhok said on Sky’s F1 Show, framing Red Bull’s next move with the sort of clarity that tends to age well. Are they chasing the Drivers’ title with Verstappen at all costs, or do they want the Constructors’ Championship too? It sounds simple. It never is.
The numbers behind that dilemma have been glaring for years. Pierre Gasly got 12 races. Alex Albon, a season and a half. Sergio Perez lasted four seasons and helped Verstappen to that fraught 2021 crown, before the partnership fizzled out at the end of 2024 despite a fresh contract earlier in the year. Liam Lawson was promoted, then bounced back to Racing Bulls after two weekends as Yuki Tsunoda returned to the top team. Tsunoda saw out the campaign but, with just 30 points from 22 starts, he was moved aside as well. Enter Hadjar for 2026.
You can call it ruthless. Red Bull would call it standards.
Chandhok’s point is that the second car has too often been an accessory rather than a weapon. When Verstappen doesn’t win — and 2025 reminded everyone he’s mortal — the other Red Bull needs to be there to beat the McLarens, Ferraris and whoever else joins the fun. He floated a scenario many inside Milton Keynes will have played through: even a handful of second places behind a winning Verstappen can tilt a title fight. That’s the maths of modern F1. It’s also why driver two can’t be an afterthought in setup or development.
Which is where 2026 comes in. The rulebook resets, the cars change dramatically, and Red Bull’s own power unit project with Ford debuts. In theory, everyone starts from zero — even Verstappen, even Hadjar.
“It’s the best timing by far,” Hadjar told media in Abu Dhabi. “It’s not like Max knows the car; we all start from scratch. I feel very lucky with how I’m coming to Red Bull.” That’s a shrewd read from a driver who, crucially, isn’t trying to sell miracles. He also admitted the first month could be bruising. Expect to be slower. Expect frustration. Study the data. Learn fast. It’s refreshingly honest, and it’s probably the only viable way to survive next to the fastest benchmark in the sport.
Hadjar’s arrival also reopens a long-running question about how Red Bull builds its machinery. The Verstappen-friendly front end and razor-sharp rotation have been a feature, not a bug. If the car’s DNA continues to suit Max to a tee, the second cockpit becomes a survival mission. If Red Bull broadens the window — and that’s Chandhok’s challenge to them — the Constructors’ title comes back into view.
All of which is complicated by the politics of momentum. McLaren has put itself in the conversation with a driver pairing that forces points out of Sundays. Ferrari, at their best, vacuum up podiums with both cars. Red Bull can’t afford to yield that ground in a season of upheaval, not when their own pipeline is as lively (and unforgiving) as it’s ever been.
Hadjar might be the right name at the right time. He’s quick, unflappable and, perhaps most importantly, realistic about the climb. But the success of this pairing won’t be decided by a press release or a winter photoshoot. It’ll come from the first six months of 2026: how Red Bull tunes the RB22’s traits; how often Hadjar’s car gets the same love on a Friday; how bravely the team leans into two-driver problem-solving instead of defaulting to one-driver optimisation.
Verstappen, for his part, has never hidden his view on teammate churn or the Lawson saga before it. The subtext is clear: he wants a wingman who scores big, not one who makes his Sundays harder. He also wants a car tailored to his strengths. Good luck trying to square that circle without clever engineering and a bit of patience.
So yes, Isack Hadjar will line up alongside Verstappen when the new era kicks off. That’s a big call on a young driver. But the bigger call sits in Red Bull’s design office. Build a car that invites two drivers into the fight, and the silverware tally takes care of itself. Build one for just one man, and the rest of the grid will keep smelling opportunity.
