Isack Hadjar addresses Red Bull second seat curse

Isack Hadjar has addressed the so-called curse of the second Red Bull seat, ahead of his first campaign with the Austrian outfit. 

Following an impressive debut season in Formula 1 with Racing Bulls, the Frenchman has been promoted to Red Bull to partner Max Verstappen for 2026. 

In doing so, he has become the seventh different driver to partner the four-time world champion at the Milton Keynes-based outfit. 

Of Verstappen's former team-mates, only Daniel Ricciardo avoided a dramatic downward spiral, creating the so-called curse. 

What Hadjar has in his favour is Red Bull designing an entirely new car from scratch, as part of the new power unit regulations in F1.

Asked by talkSPORT on if he is concerned of the reputation of Red Bull's second seat, Hadjar said: "I think there's no reason why it would not go well. 

"It's a brand new car starting from scratch. I'm fast enough. So, yeah, I'm very [confident]."

Partnering Verstappen in the Red Bull garage is a tall order for even the most experienced of drivers, as Sergio Perez found out from 2021 to 2024. 

The opportunity is yet to sink in for Hadjar, who believes that being alongside Verstappen will only "feel real" once the duo get into the RB22.

Discussing what it feels like to partner Verstappen, Hadjar explained: "It's going to feel real once I compare myself against him, looking at the data. 

"So far, he's been a good teammate, a good guy. But now, honestly, I'm just more excited about what's gonna happen on track."