Helmut Marko agrees with Isack Hadjar: 2026 is best…

Racing Bulls Formula 1 driver Isack Hadjar currently has the best credentials for promotion to the Red Bull squad in 2026, though the question remains whether the Frenchman will be ready for a top team – and for the challenge of that second seat alongside Max Verstappen – after just one season in F1.

The new regulations will represent a reset for everyone, which is why Hadjar reckons 2026 will be the perfect moment to move to Red Bull's main team.

Asked by Motorsport.com whether he shared that view, Helmut Marko confirmed that he did: “Of course. These ground-effect cars are very special. And through the new regulations, it will be a completely new sort of driving. You have to use a lot of your brain for the recovery system and so on. So I think it's a good time for a movement.”

This shows how Red Bull’s top management views Hadjar, and in which direction the lineup decision for 2026 is heading.

However, Marko still insists that there is no rush. He previously mentioned the late-October Mexican Grand Prix as a good reference point, and despite various media reports, the Austrian is sticking to that.

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls, Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing (Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images)

Where does Hadjar still need to improve?

Despite Hadjar’s own confidence, he still has room for improvement in some areas. The Frenchman has made it clear that he needs to understand the technical side better to provide the team with accurate feedback.

“From an engineering point of view, it can maybe still get better”, Hadjar admitted. “It's just such a technical world, I would say. As a rookie, that's where I'm learning the most. Not really driving the car, because I know how to do it.”

When it comes to the driving itself, Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane sees one other area for improvement. “Of course, he's working on all areas and what he can do better. If I had to mention one area he could do better on, it's maybe qualifying.”

This may sound surprising, as the rookie has impressed in qualifying, but that is precisely why Permane believes there is even more potential there.

“I don't say that as a negative. I think when he gets it right, we see what he can do – in Zandvoort, he put the car fourth on the grid. He was heading for a similar result in Budapest and didn't quite get it right, he got caught out by the wind. There's a couple of times – which is completely understandable in a rookie season – where he didn't put that final lap together when he was in that final session and the pressure's there. So if I had one thing he could do slightly better, I guess it's some qualifying consistency.”

Marko believes that's mostly a matter of experience; he is convinced Hadjar will improve step by step as he gains more experience. “Hadjar has only driven 16 grands prix or so by now, and he's still learning. And he has a very good relationship with his engineer [Pierre Hamelin]. He's also French, maybe that helps. But he just has to keep going and developing like he is doing right now.”