Why Isack Hadjar is making a good first impression at Red Bull

The second seat at Red Bull ought, on paper, to be a golden opportunity: a shot at racing for one of F1's leading teams. Yet the past seven years suggest it can just as easily become a poisoned chalice.

A succession of drivers — young prospects and seasoned hands alike — have been tasked with taking on the all-consuming force that is Max Verstappen. None has emerged on level terms.

It began with Daniel Ricciardo, the last team-mate to run Verstappen close. The Australian arrived as a rising talent and was afforded time to acclimatise alongside Sebastian Vettel.

Few expected what followed: in 2014, Ricciardo outperformed the reigning world champion, capitalised on Mercedes' occasional vulnerability, claimed three victories and finished third in the standings behind Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

When Vettel departed, Daniil Kvyat stepped in and initially had the edge over Ricciardo. That changed swiftly in 2016, when Kvyat was demoted to Toro Rosso after just a handful of races to make way for the 18-year-old Verstappen — who promptly won on his Red Bull debut.

Even so, Ricciardo finished ahead of Verstappen in both 2016 and 2017. While Verstappen’s peaks were often higher, Ricciardo’s consistency told.

By 2018, however, the balance had shifted. A strong run-in — one win and four further podiums from the final five races — saw Verstappen comfortably outscore his team-mate.

Behind the scenes, tensions grew. Ricciardo sensed a drift towards a clear number-two role and opted to leave for Renault, triggering a prolonged search for a suitable partner to Verstappen.

Pierre Gasly struggled under the weight of expectation, as did Alexander Albon. Sergio Perez, drawing on his experience, fared better — notably in 2022 and 2023 — but ultimately could not match Verstappen either.

By 2024, Red Bull and Perez had parted ways, and Liam Lawson was promoted. The New Zealander endured a difficult start and was withdrawn after just two race weekends.

Yuki Tsunoda followed but likewise failed to establish himself, finishing 17th in the championship last year, while Verstappen narrowly missed out on a fifth consecutive title by two points.

For Tsunoda, that effectively marked the end — for now — of his full-time Formula 1 career. In 2026, Isack Hadjar has taken over what is widely regarded as the most demanding seat in the sport.

*Hadjar retired from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and Verstappen retired from the Chinese Grand Prix, so there is not yet a direct head-to-head comparison.

Strong start from Hadjar

It remains far too early to draw firm conclusions about Hadjar relative to Verstappen or his predecessors.

Even so, the early signs are encouraging.

The only session this season in which both drivers completed running throughout was qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, making it the sole meaningful point of comparison so far.

Even within that limited sample, the gap between Verstappen and Hadjar was notably small — particularly compared with every Verstappen team-mate bar Ricciardo.

*Because of Verstappen's crash in Q1 in Melbourne, there is only the direct Q3 comparison from the Shanghai International Circuit, with the Dutchman's average starting position heavily impacted, too.

In Q3 in China, Hadjar was just +0.119 seconds slower than Verstappen, the pair lining up ninth and eighth respectively.

Set against the deficits recorded by Ricciardo, Gasly, Albon, Perez, Lawson and Tsunoda, it is a highly promising benchmark for the young Frenchman.

Crucially, Hadjar delivered exactly what Red Bull has long sought: a driver capable of living within a few tenths of Verstappen and, by extension, remaining in close contention in both qualifying and races.

The caveat, however, is performance. In China, both Red Bulls were scrapping with Haas and Alpine at the head of the midfield rather than challenging for wins and podiums.

That leaves several key questions for the season ahead. Can Red Bull rejoin the front-runners, as it hinted at during the Australian Grand Prix? Can Verstappen return to fighting for victories? And can Hadjar maintain this level when the car is capable of more?

If the answer to all three is yes, Red Bull may finally have found a genuinely effective driver pairing alongside Verstappen — something it has been seeking for the better part of a decade.