Isack Hadjar is set to begin his sophomore season in F1 with Red Bull in 2026. The Frenchman was promoted to the main Red Bull F1 team following his debut season with Racing Bulls.
Hadjar had his first taste of the RB22 at Barcelona and Bahrain during the pre-season test sessions. The 2026 F1 pre-season testing was a mixture of blistering early pace and late-stage reliability struggles for the Red Bull driver. Following the conclusion of testing in Bahrain, Hadjar spoke on the final days of testing with Red Bull and how he has been getting up to speed with the team.
Hadjar on the final week of the 2026 F1 pre-season testing
The final three days of testing were the most challenging for the Frenchman as he completed only 125 laps during the week. The only drivers to complete fewer laps were Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
This is not ideal for Isack Hadjar, who will now be driving alongside four-time World Champion Max Verstappen in Red Bull. Despite losing significant time on track, the Frenchman says they adapted quite well.
“I mean, out of six sessions, we missed two. So it’s quite a bit. But we always make sure to make compact and make the most of the other runnings we got to readapt. So it was never boring, to be honest.”
The 21-year-old added that he was impressed with Red Bull’s progression throughout their time in Bahrain. Hadjar also spoke on familiarising himself with the RB22 throughout testing. He shared that he is now more confident in his understanding of the 2026 F1 livery. This has him looking forward to his maiden grand prix appearance with the Milton Keynes outfit at the season opener in Melbourne.
“So I feel as ready as I can heading into Melbourne. And the guys have been very, very good on making the most of the tests. We’ve been through so much test items. So I’m very glad with the understanding of the car. So I’m happy.“
Joining Red Bull for the 2026 F1 season
While he may be entering the 2026 F1 season with a new team, Hadjar shared that entering the Red Bull garage felt like returning to a familiar environment. The Frenchman already ran in FP1s and the post-season tests for the team since signing for the Red Bull Junior Team back in 2021.
“I didn’t really feel like jumping in a new team, to be honest. And I’ve been doing FP1s for this team already back in 23, 24, so I’ve been signed in 21. So at the end of the day, I’m working with engineers that I’ve known for a while now. I’ve been on team support sessions with them for the team. So yeah, it made the transition a lot easier.”
Hadjar’s move to Red Bull also reunites him with Team Principal Laurent Mekies, the former boss of Racing Bulls when the Frenchman first made his F1 debut a year prior. The 21-year-old took the time to praise Mekies’ leadership and admitted that this was another factor that has made his integration in the team more seamless.
“And yeah, also having Laurent as a leader is great. You know, I made my debut in Formula 1 with him. Stepping into my second season with him is good. So it’s been very smooth. Very lucky.”
