Isack Hadjar: Verstappen partnership ‘scares me, excites me’

Rising French talent Isack Hadjar admits the idea of joining Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2026 is intimidating but also hugely motivating.

The 20-year-old, enjoying an impressive rookie season with Racing Bulls, is now tipped to succeed Yuki Tsunoda as Verstappen’s teammate.

“Can I see myself working with Max? Of course!” he told Canal Plus before the Baku weekend. “What a lineup that would be. It scares me, but it also excites me like crazy.” Hadjar suggested the decision may already be made.

“Of course, it’s coming early in my career, but I might have that opportunity. I get the same car as the best driver in the world, and he’s right next to me. I have the opportunity to compare myself with him, and I have the same chances as him.”

Ralf Schumacher told T-Online he believes Hadjar will indeed line up alongside Verstappen, while warning that Red Bull teammates often struggle. “Yes, that’s what I said at the beginning too,” he laughed, when asked if Hadjar is like the next lamb to the Red Bull slaughter.

But the German thinks 2026 could provide Hadjar with a fairer shot. “I believe that a talented, young driver like Hadjar has to learn how to assert himself at a team like Red Bull,” Ralf said. “In a car like the current one, which Verstappen developed together with the team, that’s obviously difficult.

“That’s why I say, if Hadjar had to get into the same car as Tsunoda today, Red Bull would have destroyed him too, but next year, everything will be reset to zero. That means Max starts from scratch, his new teammate starts from scratch, everyone can contribute and get the setup they need.

"Plus, Hadjar has the necessary speed. If he also suits the new concept, he’s certainly the easiest, most obvious solution as Max Verstappen’s teammate.” Even so, Ralf admitted: “I would hate to have to face that challenge myself.”