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Red Bull are looking to have a strong 2026 season as they enter a new era, but David Croft does not think they could win the championship with two Max Verstappens in the team.
The Milton Keynes outfit are in a major transitional period as they become an engine manufacturer for the first time. Working with Ford, Red Bull are hoping to be competitive and fighting for the championship.
Red Bull have the most ‘competitive paranoia’ out of any team on the grid. Laurent Mekies’ team have worked tirelessly to get their power unit ready for the 2026 season and put Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar in a position to fight.
Doubts are rising at McLaren and Red Bull about pace, but who’s really the weak link in the big four?
Verstappen has openly bashed the regulations, calling them ‘Formula E on steroids’ and the least enjoyable F1 car he has driven in his career. But despite this, the RB22 did show encouraging signs during pre-season testing.
Zak Brown was surprised by Red Bull’s reliability in Barcelona, and in Bahrain, they again showed that they will be towards the front of the grid. But Croft does not have them as title contenders.
David Croft puts Red Bull fourth in 2026 pecking order, and second with two Max Verstappens
Speaking via Sky Sports, the F1 commentator put the Milton Keynes outfit fourth in the pecking order after testing behind Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari. However, he believes that Verstappen will make a huge difference at the team.
But even with two Verstappens, Croft believes that Red Bull would only be good enough for second: “On current form, Max is the best on the grid, hands down the best on the grid and he showed that early last year,” he said.
“In Japan, when Red Bull weren’t the fastest car, but he dominated that weekend and won a superb race from a brilliant pole. Max does make all the difference.
Is Hadjar a better fit for Red Bull than Lawson or Tsunoda?
“I don’t think the Red Bull car is the fastest car. I mean, I could be wrong here, but my pecking order is Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull as a top four, but very close together.
“But that Red Bull being fourth is probably Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen together. Max is probably kind of number two, I would imagine.
“Or if it was two Maxes, Red Bull would be number two, if that makes sense. He just has a feel for understanding at every given moment what he needs to do and how he needs to excel and he stops at nothing to make sure that he goes out and absolutely dominates.
“I love watching Max Verstappen approach a Grand Prix weekend. He is a fabulous talent. He really is.”
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Can Isack Hadjar compete with Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2026?
One of the biggest questions at Red Bull in 2026 is whether Hadjar can compete with Verstappen. The Frenchman is his seventh different teammate since 2018.
Hadjar feels more ‘comfortable’ at Red Bull than he did at Racing Bulls, as the main team take things more seriously. He grabbed his maiden podium with the junior team in 2025 at Zandvoort, but he’s now ready to make the step up.
But Jolyon Palmer says there’s ‘no good time’ to be Verstappen’s teammate, as he often leaves them behind in equal machinery.
Hadjar could be the one to change that and fight the Dutchman. But history is not on his side, and he will need to be extremely focused if he wants to keep his seat at Red Bull.
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