Alex Brundle explains why Red Bull may ‘need’ Isack Hadjar more than they needed Liam Lawson

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Isack Hadjar is joining Red Bull at the ‘right time’, according to Formula 1 pundit Alex Brundle. Hadjar takes on arguably the most daunting challenge in the sport in just his second season.

Between December 2024 and December ’25, Red Bull dropped three drivers. Sergio Perez’s contract was cancelled, Liam Lawson was demoted to Racing Bulls and Yuki Tsunoda was relegated to a reserve role.

Going back further, Pierre Gasly was let go mid-season and Alex Albon briefly fell off the grid after losing Red Bull’s confidence. Daniel Ricciardo was the last driver whose reputation survived a partnership with Max Verstappen.

🔢 Rank Max Verstappen’s five teammates since Daniel Ricciardo

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Hadjar was initially wary about joining Red Bull so early, having seen a succession of drivers fail. But he enters the year with optimism on the basis that the regulation changes offer a blank slate for every driver.

Isack Hadjar may benefit if Red Bull don’t ‘hit the ground running’ in 2026

While they haven’t ruled it out, Red Bull aren’t expecting to fight for the championship this year. Verstappen only finished two points behind Lando Norris in the 2025 standings.

The Bulls are building their own engines for the first time and have repeatedly stated that they will need time to catch up to more established manufacturers.

Indeed, Laurent Mekies urged Red Bull fans to ‘bear with us’ at the team’s 2026 launch.

Speaking on the Rolling Start F1 podcast, Brundle explained that the importance of the second driver would increase if Red Bull aren’t championship contenders. In recent years, Verstappen’s teammates have become something of a strategic mule.

How many podiums and wins will Isack Hadjar achieve in his first season as a Red Bull driver?

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“What’s important to remember is Red Bull have been a potentially championship-winning team with Max for a long time,” said Brundle. “Will that be the case this year?

“Even though to have a championship-winning car for Hadjar will of course be the aim and beneficial, if Red Bull don’t necessarily hit the ground running – we’re hearing everything about how brilliant the Mercedes engine is going to be, [which is] conjecture until they’re all on the race track – they’re going to need both drivers more.

“If you’ve got a Red Bull that can win races in the hands of Max, they focus on Max. That’s another reason why it’s the right time for Isack.”

Why Liam Lawson isn’t a threat to Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull seat

One journalist thinks that Lawson could put pressure on Hadjar, but that seems unlikely.

Firstly, the prevailing mood internally is that Lawson has had his chance at Red Bull. Even if Hadjar struggles, he won’t necessarily be seen as an upgrade.

Hadjar beat Lawson relatively convincingly in their 2025 teammate battle, after all.

What’s more, Laurent Mekies has acknowledged that Red Bull need to change, and it may be that he affords more patience to young drivers than the Christian Horner/Helmut Marko regime.

Hadjar admits it’s a ‘bit scary’ to face Verstappen, while Lawson was outwardly fearless when he made the move. Perhaps a cautious approach, at least in his first few races, is wise.