Verstappen impressed by future Red Bull star

Max Verstappen has been left impressed by Red Bull junior driver Isack Hadjar, who is pushing for a seat in sister team RB. 

Hadjar is currently competing for Campos Racing in Formula 2 and leads the drivers' championship, courtesy of four feature race wins this season. 

The 19-year-old French-Algerian driver is in his second F2 campaign and has already participated in several free practice sessions for RB and Red Bull. 

His most recent F1 experience came in first practice ahead of the British Grand Prix, where he drove Sergio Perez's car for the session. 

Red Bull are continuing to include Hadjar in some team activities, with Verstappen having seen the young driver with the team several times during a Grand Prix weekend.

"Of course I see him here and there walking around with the team, he has driven the car a few times," Verstappen told select media including RacingNews365. 

"And he's doing a great job. He had a bit of bad luck anyway, in the beginning of this season.

"I mean, that's all that you need to do, I guess. And then it's of course up to management."

Hadjar has F1 'potential'

Hadjar's performances this season have not gone unnoticed, with Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko being very impressed. 

Marko views the young driver as having the "potential" to race in F1 and that he will play a role in the company's 2025 decisions. 

Red Bull is yet to decide who will partner Yuki Tsunoda in the sister team next year, whilst it is unknown if Sergio Perez will be kept in the main outfit. 

It has already been confirmed that an announcement regarding reserve driver Liam Lawson will be made next month, with Marko suggesting that Hadjar could hold a reserve role similar to Lawson's next season.

"Isack Hadjar took his fourth win in the highest Formula class after F1 at Spa," Marko said in his Speedweek column. 

"He clearly has the potential for Formula 1. We will see how everything develops, but he will definitely play a role. 

"It could be that, like Lawson, he will spend a year as a test and simulator driver."