Isack Hadjar disagrees with Liam Lawson about being Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate

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Isack Hadjar has become the sixth different driver to partner Max Verstappen since the end of the 2018 season. Five of those drivers have failed to win a race.

Sergio Perez was the exception, picking up five victories across four seasons. But it was during the Mexican’s tenure that the second-driver crisis intensified, culminating in an eight-figure pay-off.

Now, it’s no longer a given that Red Bull’s second car even scores points, let alone challenges Verstappen. Pierre Gasly finished in the top 10 in seven of his 12 races (58.3%), while Albon did so 80% of the time.

🔢 Rank Max Verstappen’s five teammates since Daniel Ricciardo

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But since the 2024 summer break, Verstappen’s three teammates have only scored in 12 out of 34 Grands Prix (35.3%). Hadjar joins after the failures of Liam Lawson, who lasted just two races, and Yuki Tsunoda.

Red Bull signing Isack Hadjar admits facing Max Verstappen is ‘a bit scary’

Hadjar delivered one of the best rookie seasons in the history of the Red Bull sister team, most notably bagging a maiden podium at the Dutch GP. He’s arguably the best talent they have produced since Verstappen, but he’s still wary about going up against him.

Still only 21, he will be the youngest driver to race for Red Bull in nearly a decade. He relishes the challenge while still finding it daunting.

“I’ve never had a teammate like Max before,” he told the Fast and the Curious podcast. “It’s scary in a way because you’re like, ‘I’m finally going to see what the best in the world feels like.’

Does Isack Hadjar have the right mindset for his promotion to Red Bull in 2026?

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“To compare myself against the best at such a young age, it’s definitely a challenge, but it’s what I’ve been looking for my whole career since I started go-karts. It’s a bit scary, but it’s so exciting.”

Tsunoda’s absence from the 2026 F1 grid highlights the perils of struggling next to Verstappen. Albon and Perez both returned to the sport, albeit with lower midfield teams, while Gasly and Lawson were demoted.

Liam Lawson says he had no fear going up against Max Verstappen

There’s an intriguing contrast between Hadjar’s comments and Lawson’s remarks prior to joining Red Bull. He didn’t have any fear of sharing a garage with Verstappen.

“No, I’m not afraid of that,” he told De Telegraaf. “In fact, I wouldn’t want anyone more as a teammate than Max. He’s the best in the sport.

“It would be incredibly instructive to compete against him, to be able to study his data every weekend and see exactly how he approaches things. It would be the ultimate challenge for me.”

This interview aged poorly in the sense that Lawson’s Red Bull career was so brief. Perhaps that proves Hadjar is right to be cautious.

But equally, Lawson says his mentality wasn’t the reason he struggled. He felt he deserved more time on tracks where he had raced previously to prove himself.

Hadjar has said that he wants to win a race in 2026, but even if he’s quick enough, it’s unclear if Red Bull will be in a position to do so. The team are playing down expectations as they introduce their first-ever F1 engine.