One look at the 2026 driver roster tells you everything you need to know about Isack Hadjar's rookie campaign with Racing Bulls. Other than Mercedes runner Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Hadjar placed the highest of 2025's midfield batch of rookies by consistently qualifying where his car deserved to be – between ninth and 10th on average, and then converting that into regular points.
The Frenchman's rookie campaign didn't get off to a good start, though. Hadjar infamously spun off a damp track on the formation lap of the Australian Grand Prix, cutting a crestfallen figure as he was consoled by Anthony Hamilton.
But while that could have been a traumatic and destabilising experience, the 21-year-old bounced back pretty much instantly to claim eighth in his third race in Japan. It was a sign of things to come, and in hindsight a great test of character.
Like many of his peers in this upcoming generation, Hadjar combines innate self-belief with intense self-criticism and refreshing honesty. When asked by Motorsport.com in Brazil last year if he was ready for his F1 debut, he frankly said: "No". He couldn't possibly know until he got some proper mileage during winter testing. But he emphatically answered that question soon enough.
Hadjar had a headstart of Liam Lawson, who was sent back to Racing Bulls from the senior Red Bull team after just two disastrous grands prix weekends. But, even after the New Zealander adjusted to his new reality, Hadjar still proved the quicker of the two on balance, outqualifying him 21 to six, including sprints but not accounting for two mechanical issues on Lawson's side.
Hadjar had a junior formulae reputation of being something of a hothead, and while he says he has gotten better at managing it – and keeping his finger off the radio button – that incandescence bubbled to the surface at times. But by and large he proved a stable and solid pair of hands with the raw speed that should earn him a Red Bull promotion at some stage. A maiden podium in Zandvoort further cemented his position as one of F1's rising star.
That trajectory crossed paths with Yuki Tsunoda's stagnation at the senior team, having never been able to get into a proper rhythm as he was derailed by a costly Imola crash, which set off a chain of events in which he was often behind specification. Tsunoda's enduring struggles to convert his undeniable talent into results meant Hadjar's likelihood of a 2026 promotion was soon upgraded from possible to inevitable.
Does Hadjar have the steel to endure at the main team alongside Max Verstappen and dispel Red Bull's infamous second seat syndrome? Time will tell, but the 2026 regulation changes will at least give the Milton Keynes squad a platform to start afresh and provide a more driveable car for both its drivers.
"I have no expectations at all because everyone is starting from scratch," Hadjar said on the topic. "I've always competed in different cars, so I think I'm pretty decent at adapting. Because it's a new regulation, the timing is ideal."
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