Isack Hadjar eyes Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen

Isack Hadjar admitted that helium feels a definite magnitude of trepidation earlier the anticipation of sharing a store with four-time champion Max Verstappen successful the 2026 Formula 1 season, if helium is promoted to Red Bull. The young Frenchman is presently the main campaigner for that position, aft showing awesome imaginable during his debut play astatine Racing Bulls.

The dashing 20-year-old wowed the paddock with a third-place decorativeness astatine the Dutch Grand Prix and is presently ninth successful the drivers' standings. He won points successful six of the full of 16 races truthful far, though helium started the play unluckily - by giving up already successful the enactment thigh of the archetypal race.

The individuality of Verstappen's team-mate for 2026 has inactive not been confirmed. Japanese Yuki Tsunoda is having occupation showing consistency successful a apical car; helium has lone collected 12 points truthful far, portion Verstappen has 230. The experimentation with Liam Lawson, and past with Tsunoda, has not yielded results, portion Hadjar has experienced a meteoric rise.

Hadjar volition beryllium a impermanent connected the amusement "Clique" connected Canal+ connected September 22, and successful the announcement of the interrogation with big Mouloud Achour helium already hinted that helium is the favourite to instrumentality a spot adjacent to the reigning champion. 

"It scares me, but it's besides incredibly exciting," said the young driver. "I spot myself adjacent to Max? What a squad that would be!"

At lone 20 years old, Hadjar is alert of the situation of driving alongside Verstappen, but stresses that specified an accidental should not beryllium missed. 

"Of course, it's aboriginal successful my career, but possibly I volition person this opportunity. Giving maine the aforesaid car arsenic the champion operator successful the satellite and putting maine adjacent to him means I person the accidental to comparison myself with him and that I person the aforesaid chances arsenic him."

Hadjar reacts

When asked by the presenter if the insinuations astir moving to Red Bull were really "giving distant a secret", Hadjar answered: 

"You are not revealing anything, it is simply a path. It is written down."

According to accusation adjacent to Red Bull, Helmut Marko whitethorn person already fto the operator cognize that helium has done capable for the promotion, though determination is nary authoritative statement yet. Team main Laurent Mekies emphasizes: 

"No decisions person yet been made connected the operator line-up for 2026. Laurent has made it wide that we volition instrumentality our clip and that we are successful a privileged presumption arsenic we person 4 places to fill."

Mekies added of Tsunoda: 

"Yuki has made a bully measurement successful the past 3 races... He is connected a affirmative path." On Hadjar: "It's fantastic to spot his advancement successful the Racing Bulls car. His latest variation is simply a wide objection of however overmuch he's improved implicit the people of the season."