Ahead of the Hungarian GP, Isack Hadjar discussed how his confidence and his performance has improved during the 2026 F1 season with Red Bull. He has had a good season so far and is currently P8 in the Drivers’ Championship.
Last year in his first season at Racing Bulls, he finished P12 with 51 points, the Frenchman already has 60 points in 2026 as the first half of the season comes to a close.
Hadjar on his confidence after multiple points finishes ahead of the 2026 Hungarian GP
Isack Hadjar has finished in the points in the last six races. His best finish being P4 in Monaco, the Red Bull driver was initially on the podium after Pierre Gasly was handed a penalty for speeding in the pit lane. However, Alpine were quick to challenge the decision and subsequently Gasly regained his P3 finish.
During the Drivers’ Press Conference ahead of the F1 2026 Hungarian GP, Hadjar spoke on the confidence he has in the RB22.
“Good. It’s a car I handle well. It’s not the easiest to drive, but it’s consistent. I’ve got the most out of it for a few rounds now, so I’m definitely happy. We’re still not where I want to be.
“There are still a few areas where we’re lacking competitiveness compared to Ferrari and Mercedes, so we still need to dig, but it’s definitely good progress.”
Isack Hadjar on the second Red Bull seat
The second Red Bull seat has always been tough spot to fill. With 4x World Champion Max Verstappen in the first seat, there are high performance expectations to live up to. Hadjar has so far been able to perform at a similar level to Verstappen.
Ahead of the 2026 Hungarian GP Hadjar relfected on whether he felt any pressure coming into Red Bull. The 21-year-old admitted that it was on his mind coming into the seat.
“Obviously, you come in and you’re aware of where you landed, so I definitely had a few doubts because it’s Max. It’s undeniable, he’s great. There was a bit of doubt and pressure, but so far, it’s been going pretty much like I wanted. It was definitely on my mind.”
Hadjar discusses how he has measured up to his own expectations in the 2026 F1 season
With 60 points already in the 2026 F1 season, the Frenchman has already improved on his Rookie season. Following the 2026 Belgian GP Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies stated it was Hadjar’s “best race with us.” Hadjar recovered from the back of the grid in order to finish P6. At points, he turned in laps quicker than Max Verstappen.
Speaking in the Drivers’ Press Conference ahead of the Hungarian GP, Hadjar discussed how he has measured up to his own expectations, as well as where he thinks he can improve in the second half of the season.
“I actually haven’t surprised myself this year, to be honest. I’ve just been driving at a high level, definitely better than last year.
“That’s normal because it’s my second season, so I’m not very experienced, but I’m improving a bit. I would say Max has been very impressive on Sundays, all around.
“I think my one-lap pace has been pretty good, but how well he is managing the races is on a different level, so that’s what I’m focusing on working on.”
