Isack Hadjar has jovially dismissed any doubt in his mind that he will become the latest victim of the second Red Bull Formula 1 seat.
The second seat at Red Bull has now become an established way to guarantee demotion from the senior team or an exit from F1 altogether.
Its last victim was Liam Lawson, demoted to Racing Bulls while Hadjar is the next to step into the lions den as Max Verstappen’s team-mate.
But the 2026 regulations provide a potential reset for both team and driver, as Red Bull moves away from its previous design philosophy.
Hadjar’s start at Red Bull matched that of previous seat incumbent Pierre Gasly, crashing in Barcelona testing.
However, in Bahrain, he jovially dismissed that his season could mirror that of his former counterpart and struggle for the rest of the season.
“When I crashed, I thought about Pierre directly. I went on Twitter and I read everything. I was like, I’m screwed for the whole season.That’s how I moved on, honestly,” he joked to media, including Motorsport Week.
One reason for his confidence is the early integration into Red Bull, a factor that one of his predecssor’s enjoyed, which has led to an easy transition.
“Yeah, exactly like that”, he responded asking of the move from Racing Bulls to Red Bull was seamless.
” Working with guys I met back when I signed for the programme, so, it made the move very easy.
Isack Hadjar sets targets for 2026
Asked by Motorsport Week if he had targets for the 2026 or was adopting a race-by-race approach, Isack Hadjar gave an emphatic answer to set the tone for his season.
I think, obviously, that first race win is in the radar. That would be great”, he confirmed.
“I’d like to see our car progressing faster than the other teams, I think that would be also very enjoyable.”
Giving his take on the unique driving style for the 2026 cars, including the multiple downshifts and seeming extra requirement of first gear cornering.
“Smooth,” he said of his experience of pulling extra downshifts.
“Actually, I’ve never spent so much time in my life pulling 1st gear, so it’s actually enjoyable.
“You adapt to it naturally, it’s no big deal.”
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