Hadjar fuels Red Bull talk as Marko beams over 'little Prost'

Red Bull’s driver puzzle for 2026 is narrowing, with Isack Hadjar increasingly tipped to line up alongside Max Verstappen.

New team boss Laurent Mekies says Verstappen’s own future has never been in doubt since he took over from Christian Horner.

“Max and I never once talked about his future,” he told Bild. “We didn’t need to. On my first day of work, he came to me and said: ‘Forget everything you’ve read. I will stay with Red Bull, and I’m looking forward to the time ahead of us together.’”

Attention now turns to who will drive the second 2026 car. Sergio Perez has long departed, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson have failed to convince, and suddenly 20-year-old Hadjar is the system’s breakout star.

At Zandvoort, the Frenchman delivered a sensational podium in his Racing Bulls, the youngest ever for a French driver in F1.

“Alain Prost just wrote to me and said it’s amazing to break such records,” Hadjar grinned. For Helmut Marko, the weekend was vindication. “We chose Hadjar because we knew he had something special. I call him little Prost, the new Prost. People laughed when I said it, but now he is getting results,” said Red Bull’s motorsport director. “When he comes to a new track, three laps are enough. Nothing affects him.”

Hadjar himself was quick to credit Marko. “It was Helmut who gave me this shot,” he said. “He gave me a path, a trajectory, and I’m actually following it pretty well right now.” Mekies, who ran Hadjar at Racing Bulls before taking over at Red Bull, told Sky Italia he shares the view: “He’s making progress one after the other, and the trend is pointing in the right direction.”

Asked if Hadjar deserves a senior seat, he answered bluntly: “Yes.” Even Verstappen is in on the banter. When asked how well the pair might work together, he joked: “Terrible.”

Hadjar volleyed back: “I don’t want to be next to Max. I don’t like him. That’s it.” Despite also smiling throughout his Dutch GP interviews, Marko insists no decision is locked in. “We will decide later,” he said. “His progress is impressive, but it all has to do with performance.”

A call is expected “around” the Mexican GP, with Arvid Lindblad linked as Racing Bulls’ replacement if Hadjar steps up. As for Tsunoda, Marko admitted the Japanese driver’s task is daunting.

He said: “He needs to get closer to Max and consistently maintain that level. That’s why we’ve pushed back the decision date. We’re now looking at the upcoming races.” Hadjar, meanwhile, says he is unfazed. “I can drive everything except a MotoGP,” he laughed to Sky Italia. “I’m ready for whatever happens.”