Helmut Marko’s ‘very telling’ response to questions about Isack Hadjar racing for Red Bull in 2026

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Isack Hadjar is being heavily linked with a promotion to Red Bull in 2026 as the team assess their driver pool for next season.

The Frenchman, Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson and Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda are out of contract in 2025. Currently, only Max Verstappen has committed to 2026 after a possible move to Mercedes was shut down.

Red Bull have depended on the Dutchman more than ever in 2025 as their issues with the second car have worsened. Lawson was dropped after two races, failing to score points or get out of Q1, while his replacement Tsunoda has fared little better.

The Japanese driver scored his first points since Imola at the Dutch Grand Prix, taking his tally to nine points since his promotion at Suzuka. Red Bull have ‘confirmed internally’ that Tsunoda will leave at the end of the season.

Hadjar is the ‘frontrunner’ to replace Tsunoda in 2026 as Red Bull prepare to introduce their power unit under the new technical regulations. His chances were heightened at Zandvoort as he grabbed his maiden F1 podium with P3.

Helmut Marko says Isack Hadjar is ‘different’ than other Red Bull drivers amid 2026 promotion rumours

Reports have stated that Hadjar is ‘highly resistant’ to joining Red Bull due to the struggles of the second car. Many drivers before him have not performed next to Verstappen, resulting in either a demotion to Racing Bulls or losing their spot in F1 entirely.

However, Helmut Marko believes that Hadjar is ‘different’ from his predecessors. Speaking to journalist Ronald Vording at the Dutch GP, the Red Bull chief advisor thinks he can handle the pressure of being Verstappen’s teammate.

“That raises perhaps the most interesting question of the day: Is Hadjar ready for the long term, not now, but next year for Red Bull Racing?” Vording recalled via Motorsport.com Nederland.

“And with that question, I actually went to Helmut Marko, because I said to him: ‘How difficult is it to find the balance between promoting someone, but at the same time, not promoting him too early, because you do not want him tendering next to Max Verstappen?’

“I said: ‘Max destroys everyone.’ But then Helmut said, and that’s a very telling quote: ‘Isack is different.’ So, Isack Hadjar is different from all his predecessors in his view.

“I personally still have to see, but he thinks Hadjar is mentally stronger. And then I asked him: Is Hadjar able to withstand that pressure from Red Bull alongside Max, at least not to beat Max, of course, but to possibly survive as a teammate.’

“And he answered: ‘Yes.’ And I think that says a lot about A) how Marko feels about Hadjar, and B) which direction things seem to be going at Red Bull right now in terms of driver selection.”

READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls 2025 F1 driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know

What Isack Hadjar said about racing for Red Bull in 2026 after Dutch Grand Prix podium

Marko referred to Hadjar as the mini Alain Prost before his F1 debut. The Austrian is a keen admirer of the 20-year-old and seems set on moving him into Red Bull in 2026.

Hadjar said he is ‘ready for anything’ immediately after finishing on the podium at Zandvoort. Red Bull admire the young talent’s confidence, and his skills behind the wheel in 2025 have made him a shoo-in for a promotion.

Verstappen reacted to Hadjar’s podium, applauding his efforts throughout the weekend. The four-time champion could have the Frenchman as his teammate in 2026, which would mark the sixth different driver to sit on the other side of the Red Bull garage since 2019.

But if Hadjar is to be promoted, he will want the second car to see significant improvements. Tsunoda is 19th in the standings while Verstappen sits third; he will not want to suffer the same fate, especially with how impressive he has been at Racing Bulls.