Lewis Hamilton has voiced his fears for Isack Hadjar, after the rookie was confirmed as a Red Bull driver in Formula 1 from next year.
The Frenchman will partner Max Verstappen at the Milton Keynes-based squad in 2026, after months of speculation as to who would occupy the team’s second seat.
At sister team Racing Bulls, Hadjar has impressed F1 with a myriad of mature and quick performances, and currently sits 10th in the standings ahead of this weekend’s curtain-closer in Abu Dhabi.
With the drive comes great responsibility, as a track record of drivers who have failed to match Verstappen have come and gone, leaving many fearing for Hadjar at such a tender age.
Hamilton is one of those who is concerned about the same possibility, and told F1TV at the Yas Marina Circuit that the team’s high standards and ruthless manner makes him fear for the 21-year-old.
“I only found out about it today,” he said. “I’m not going to lie that it doesn’t worry me.
“I think he’s done an amazing job this year and he’s still very, very young, he’s still learning a lot about himself and his surroundings. But he’s done a phenomenal job this year and he’s got a great approach.
“We all know what happens when people go to Red Bull and the environment that you’re thrown into. Obviously I’ve not been there so I can’t tell from experience but looking from the outside it’s obviously quite difficult and where he is [at Racing Bulls], he’s got, it seems, a really good environment.”
Hamilton hoping for ‘the right support’ for Hadjar
Hadjar will take the place of Yuki Tsunoda, who will step back into a role as reserve driver, with Arvid Lindblad partnering Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls.
Hamilton used Tsunoda as an example of how a driver with obvious talent can still not make the grade at the team, and is hopeful that Hadjar will be afforded the right backing to succeed.
“Yuki is an amazing driver but every driver that goes there has this general experience,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean those drivers aren’t great, it’s clearly something else.
“So I just hope that there are changes made that provide him with the right support.”
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