Guenther Steiner thinks Red Bull management changes will help Isack Hadjar end the second seat curse

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Isack Hadjar faces a monumental challenge as the second Red Bull driver this season, but a change in guidance might bode well for him.

A chaotic season for Red Bull last season left them scrambling to plug a lot of gaps. While Max Verstappen was doing his best to carry them, Red Bull kept trying to fix their second driver issue.

Liam Lawson didn’t impress at the start of the season and was swapped out for Yuki Tsunoda. However, even Tsunoda struggled to get Red Bull any points, which ultimately led to Christian Horner’s departure.

Is Hadjar a better fit for Red Bull than Lawson or Tsunoda?

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Now going into 2026, Red Bull have made yet another change, swapping out Tsunoda in favour of Isack Hadjar, thus making him the third driver to swap from VCARB to Red Bull in the last 12 months.

The Red Bull second driver seat has been considered snakebit for the last year, but Guenther Steiner backs Isack Hadjar to overcome the issues, thanks to a change in management.

READ MORE: Damon Hill warns Red Bull about Max Verstappen ‘psychologically’ crushing Isack Hadjar in 2026

Guenther Steiner expects Laurent Mekies to help Isack Hadjar adapt to Red Bull

Guenther Steiner addressed Isack Hadjar and the Red Bull second seat curse on the Red Flags podcast. The former Haas team principal expects Hadjar to do better than his predecessors in the role.

The arrival of Laurent Mekies will make sure that Hadjar knows his job isn’t to rival Max Verstappen, but to do the best he can with the car and try to deliver points in the years to come.

“Yes, he will. First of all, I think there have been so many precedents there that something has been learned. Not to put too much pressure onto someone who is going up against Max. That doesn’t work.”

“Even I understand that… I think Isack is good, very young, and he can take his time and wait a few years. The management has changed completely at Red Bull.”

“So maybe with Laurent, it’s a different attitude on how to approach the second seat. You tell the driver, ‘You cannot beat the other guy, for the moment, so just give the best for the team… Don’t try to beat him, don’t overdo it and break mentally on trying to do it.’”

READ MORE: Jolyon Palmer has already changed his mind about Isack Hadjar’s chances against Max Verstappen

What do you expect from Isack Hadjar in the 2026 F1 season?

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Guenther Steiner expects Red Bull to finish fourth in constructors’ championship

Despite his confidence in Hadjar, Steiner doesn’t see Red Bull doing well in the constructors’ championship race, predicting they’ll finish outside the top three.

“I think all the other ones have so much more experience with the power unit. They will just be a little bit ahead. As good as a job as Red Bull and Ford did, to beat the Mercedes and Ferrari out of the back is almost impossible. That’s why I put them in fourth.”

Red Bull’s hopes for the constructors’ title depend heavily on Isack Hadjar’s performance. Laurent Mekies understands this, which is why he wants to shield Hadjar from pressure.

Mekies is also worried about Red Bull’s painful engine development, which could make their quest for the constructors’ title all the more difficult.

The best-case scenario for Red Bull this weekend is for Max Verstappen to win the Australian Grand Prix, and for Hadjar to get points so they can get off to a strong start and give themselves some breathing room.