– While Max Verstappen’s future remains one of the prevailing topics in Formula 1, there is currently absolute silence regarding the second cockpit at Red Bull. And that is probably the biggest compliment one can pay Isack Hadjar right now. To understand how extraordinary this calm is, one only has to turn back the clock a little over a year.
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More precisely, let’s fast forward to March 2025, at the race weekend on the Shanghai International Circuit. There, information leaks in the paddock that is initially hard to believe: Red Bull is seriously considering a lightning-fast driver swap between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda – and that after only two completed Grand Prix weekends!
The initial reaction among journalists and experts is pure disbelief. How can a driver be dropped again after such a short time? Although Lawson had an extremely tough start in the first team and even set the dubious record in China of being the first Red Bull driver to start from the last grid position twice in one weekend, such an early change seems unthinkable.
However, after investigations with several paddock sources, the story is confirmed: Red Bull is pushing ahead with the swap and will put Tsunoda in the Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen as early as Suzuka.
The curse of the second cockpit finally broken
However, the hoped-for breakthrough also fails to materialize with the Japanese driver. Tsunoda also fails to leave a lasting impression at Red Bull, which is why the next rumors about a driver change for 2026 emerge even before the 2025 summer break. When Isack Hadjar finally achieves his first Formula 1 podium in Zandvoort, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko can no longer ignore the young Frenchman. The promotion becomes a done deal.
The extreme driver swap after China was in a way symbolic of what had been happening with this cockpit for years. Before Lawson and Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, and ultimately Sergio Perez had already failed at the mammoth task of competing alongside Verstappen. For years, the second car mutated into a constant headache for the Bulls.
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Until 2026. Because this season, Hadjar has impressively managed to break the fateful trend. The Frenchman had essentially announced this last year. As speculation about his Red Bull promotion gained momentum and he was regularly questioned about it on media Thursdays, he met the enormous pressure with remarkable self-confidence.
Hadjar proves right: “Not an issue of car number two”
“2026 is a completely different matter because it’s a complete fresh start for the team,” Hadjar explained last year in Monza, for example. “There won’t be this talk about a ‘second car’ anymore. That won’t be an issue because it’s a brand new car for everyone.” When asked if that would make a move to Red Bull easier, he confidently replied: “Significantly easier.”
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At the time, these statements were met with amusement by many observers. His optimism was compared to the self-confidence of his predecessors, who also came to Red Bull full of hope and failed spectacularly. The general assumption in the paddock was that Hadjar’s Red Bull adventure would end in exactly the same disaster.
But by the halfway point of the 2026 season, Hadjar has proven his critics wrong. His words turned out not to be empty boasts, but prophetic reality. In qualifying, Hadjar loses on average only a few tenths of a second to Verstappen. And even more importantly: he delivers exactly what Red Bull has been desperately looking for – to be there when the team leader falters or has bad luck.
Strong comeback in Spa impresses team principal Mekies
This was evident right at the season opener in Australia: Verstappen was eliminated in Q1, but Hadjar saved the day for the team and put the car in a strong third starting position. A similar picture emerged in Monaco, where Verstappen retired early and Hadjar ultimately finished on the podium – even if he had to hand over the trophy to Gasly afterwards, this in no way diminishes his driving class. Apart from a small faux pas in Miami and an engine-related retirement in Melbourne, Hadjar finished in the top 8 in every race.
The Frenchman showed his most mature performance in Red Bull colors recently in Spa-Francorchamps. After an engine change and the associated grid penalty, he had to start the race from 21st position. With an outstanding drive, he fought his way up to sixth place and even kept reigning world champion Lando Norris at bay on older tires. This earned him high praise from team principal Laurent Mekies.
“I think that was his best race – absolutely his best race for us, no question,” Mekies enthused in the paddock. “And honestly, that’s no exception. His pure pace gets a little better from race to race. He brings speed every time.”
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“This weekend was another step forward, because he was extremely fast from FP1 onwards. We put him on a somewhat unusual strategy, which gave him the chance to beat Lando thanks to the VSC. He was incredibly strong, his pace matched that of the top 3. We are extremely happy with his development.”
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