Critical reason identified as to why Isack Hadjar is 'so valuable' to Max Verstappen and Red Bull

Jamie Chadwick believes Isack Hadjar has proven himself a genuine asset alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, highlighting that the Frenchman's ability to stay close to the four-time F1 drivers' champion is benefiting the entire Milton Keynes operation.

Speaking after the Hungarian Grand Prix, the three-time W Series champion highlighted how Hadjar's competitiveness is giving Red Bull something it has lacked in recent years: representative data from both sides of the garage.

Eleven rounds into the 2026 season, Hadjar sits eighth in the drivers' championship with 68 points, just 41 behind Verstappen.

In qualifying, the 21-year-old trails his team-mate 8-3, with the average gap of around a tenth of a second over a lap markedly closer than what Red Bull experienced with Sergio Perez, who was outqualified 80-10 across their four-year partnership, or Liam Lawson, who trailed by an average of close to nine-tenths of a second in qualifying during his brief two-race stint with the team in 2025 and Yuki Tsunoda, who was about six-tenths off.

Chadwick pointed to this proximity as the key factor that makes Hadjar's presence so significant, not just for himself, but for Verstappen and the team's development direction.

"But I think in terms of Max having a team-mate like Isack, where he can actually benefit a little bit more from data, from setup changes, is so valuable," the three-time W Series champion said on Sky Sports F1.

"Mainly for the team as a whole, I think they can lead the team in a direction that allows them to have representative data... [the cars this season are] very different, and this has allowed Isack to be closer, [but] he's incredible talent for sure.

"I would say that Liam Lawson and Sergio Perez definitely had a tougher life of it going up against Max in the previous generation of cars."

Hadjar's best result remains fourth in Monaco, and he has recorded eight top-ten finishes from 11 starts, though two retirements, including a DNF in Melbourne, have blunted his points tally.

In Hungary, he finished sixth, some 55 seconds behind Verstappen in second, yet crucially remained within the points-scoring window.

Chadwick also offered insight into the dynamic between the pair away from the track, suggesting the working relationship is stronger than what the outside world might expect.

"If you ask most drivers, obviously everyone has differences in terms of competitiveness against Max, but everyone says how he is actually incredibly kind," Chadwick said.

"Everyone in the team talks about that a lot, and I think we see this version of Max with a visor down, and it's very different to the nature that he has within this team, especially."