Red Bull issued Isack Hadjar caution as 'biggest' team mistake highlighted

Red Bull must work to ensure it provides all support possible for team newcomer Isack Hadjar or risk more line-up uncertainty, according to former F1 driver Derek Daly.

Hadjar has been chosen as Yuki Tsunoda's successor for the 2026 season after the Japanese driver became the latest figure to struggle alongside Max Verstappen.

Verstappen has easily dominated his team-mates across the last handful of years, with the car developed to his liking as the star driver.

It has led to major points gaps between the four-time champion and his stable-mate, resulting in a variety of driver moves at the Milton Keynes-based squad.

Daly stated Hadjar's personal team will be working closely with the Frenchman during the winter break to ready him for the challenge of lining up alongisde Verstappen.

“Without a doubt, his management team is trying to program his head mentally to not view Verstappen as the gladiator who slays all the dragons,” Daly exclusively told RacingNews365.

“They’re going to try and program that into him. They're going to hope that the first couple of races go well to give him a reasonable start.

“They’re going to hope that he can build confidence from there, so that he's in a position to bring out all of his talent.

“I don't care what anybody says - everybody is aware of what happens team-mates when they go up against Verstappen.

“There’s no way Hadjar has not read that, seen that, discussed that. Once it's out there, it's out there and hangs around in your head,

“They can say ‘Oh, we're good, Hadjar is emotionally numb and neutral to all of this stuff’ - I don't believe any of that.

“What I do believe is there are certain drivers - actually, most drivers - who need emotional support in a team as well as mechanical support and equipment support.”

Derek Daly criticises 'biggest' Red Bull F1 mistake

Before Hadjar, Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Tsunoda all struggled for form alongside Verstappen.

The Dutchman's last true consistently competitive team-mate was Daniel Ricciardo, who opted to leave the squad at the end of the 2018 campaign.

Seven years on, Daly scolded Red Bull for allowing the Australian to walk away from the team.

“Red Bull is famously cold for supporting just their main driver,” he said. They proved that. 

“One of the biggest mistakes I ever saw was when they got rid of Ricciardo.

“The reason Ricciardo left is because he felt unwanted. He felt the team was being so slanted towards Max that he had to leave.

“I think that was Red Bull's biggest mistake, because at that time, Ricciardo was confident. He was fast. He was a great team-mate. He won races,

“Fast forward to Hadjar, he’s younger, doesn’t have as much experience as Ricciardo, so he's very well aware of what goes on.

“The team better hope that he has good races to start, or else they'll turn into a one-car team again.”