Racing
© Morio
Isack Hadjar is emerging as a rare Red Bull success story alongside Max Verstappen, with Anthony Davidson saying the 21-year-old has been “better than a lot of Red Bull drivers have managed alongside Verstappen” after averaging just under two tenths slower than the world champion in qualifying across the opening 11 rounds of 2026.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, Davidson said that gap is not only closer than most of Verstappen’s recent team-mates have managed, but also better than Red Bull’s reported maximum target of three tenths. He added that none of the drivers who partnered Verstappen after Daniel Ricciardo left at the end of 2018 had sustained a qualifying deficit under that mark.
That is a significant shift for a seat that has repeatedly swallowed drivers in recent years. Pierre Gasly lasted only the opening part of his stint before being demoted, Alex Albon was dropped after a season and a half, Sergio Perez was eventually replaced after four years, Liam Lawson survived just two races at the start of 2025, and Yuki Tsunoda also struggled to establish himself in the role.
Hadjar said he arrived at Red Bull fully aware of that pattern. Asked if the struggles of previous Verstappen team-mates affected his mindset, Hadjar told media including RacingNews365: “Obviously you come in, and you're aware of where you landed. I definitely had a few doubts because it's Max; it's undeniable that he's great.” He added: “So, a bit of doubt, a bit of pressure, but so far it's been going pretty much like I wanted.”
His results have given weight to Davidson’s assessment. Hadjar qualified on the second row in Melbourne, finished fourth in Monaco and scored 68 points in the first half of the season. Through 10 rounds, that left him eighth in the drivers’ championship.
Davidson said Hadjar had again delivered on that qualifying standard and deserved credit for it. “On average, he's just under two tenths [slower] in qualifying, and he's done it yet again here,” Davidson said. “So he should be proud of what he's done so far.”
With Hadjar staying closer to Verstappen than recent Red Bull team-mates have managed and building a stronger early points return, the debate around him has already shifted from whether he can survive in the seat to whether he is Verstappen’s strongest Red Bull team-mate since Ricciardo.