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Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar has yet to spend more than one season with the same team in the same series throughout his racing career.
That trend is set to continue into 2026 as Isack Hadjar prepares for arguably his toughest challenge yet.
A stellar debut campaign alongside Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls earned Hadjar the most cursed promotion in Formula 1.
The Frenchman is the latest driver to be named as Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull after a maiden F1 season that included a podium at Zandvoort and the best qualifying record of any driver outside the top four teams.
Will Isack Hadjar suffer the same fate as Pierre Gasly at Red Bull?
Yuki Tsunoda’s 100 race starts weren’t enough experience to earn a second season alongside Verstappen, while Lawson’s radio messages after the Chinese Grand Prix highlighted the issues he was having with the car.
However, former Ferrari and Williams driver Felipe Massa has given his verdict on Hadjar’s chances this season.
He’s now explained why he expects Hadjar to succeed where Lawson and Tsunoda failed.
READ MORE: Who is 2026 Red Bull F1 driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know
Felipe Massa cites F1’s changing regulations as the reason why Isack Hadjar will succeed at Red Bull
Massa was being interviewed by RMC Sport, via Instagram, about Hadjar, and he said: “I think he impressed everyone last year. He had a fantastic year, learning and showing a very good performance in many races.
“Today, he has an amazing opportunity. Going to the most important team in Red Bull.
“He definitely has a big pressure, having Max next to him. But I think he needs to put in his mind the learning progress and the developing progress to be at the level he can be one day.
What is Liam Lawson’s CEILING in Formula 1?
“And I think maybe he moved to Red Bull in the right year because now all the rules are different, everything is different.
“So, the way you need to drive the car is different, so maybe it won’t be the same Red Bull that they had in the last years, where the second driver, the teammate, couldn’t drive the car like Max.
“So, I think now is maybe a good opportunity for Hadjar to have a car that is not so complicated like they had in the last years.”
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull shakedown ends in the barrier after ‘pretty smooth’ Barcelona test
Although the shakedown in Barcelona took place behind closed doors, certain details leaked from the Circuit de Catalunya.
Red Bull ran on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, with Hadjar completing his running during the first two days in Spain.
Hadjar’s time in the car ended after a big crash in damp conditions, reminiscent of what happened to Pierre Gasly when he earned his promotion to the senior Red Bull team.
However, reflecting on the shakedown, Hadjar didn’t allude to any serious problems and said: “It was pretty productive. Surprisingly, we managed to do a lot more laps than we expected.
“Everything went pretty smoothly. We had only minor issues, so it’s quite impressive considering it’s our first day with our own engine, so that was definitely smooth.”
If Hadjar has a smooth pre-season test in Bahrain and a successful start at the Australian Grand Prix, then any issues in Barcelona will quickly be forgotten.
The adaptation time that Verstappen needs could help Hadjar close the gap to the four-time world champion, where Lawson was already playing catch-up.
It’s a luxury the New Zealander didn’t have as he concentrates on delivering good enough performances to maintain his F1 status beyond 2026.
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