Laurent Mekies made one pre-season Isack Hadjar comment which suggests he’d be perfect for Red Bull

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Red Bull are going to be heading into the 2026 Formula 1 season with their sixth different driver line-up in the last nine seasons.

Staggeringly, Max Verstappen has been there for all of them, which speaks volumes about his longevity and consistency as one of the best in the championship. Red Bull’s only worry with him is how long he will stick around, not anything to do with his on-track conduct.

Sitting fourth in the constructors’ championship is not up to par, and a change is required to drag the team back into contention. Yuki Tsunoda is starting to show signs of life, but time is running out for him to prove himself. The likes of Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson are rumoured replacements.

Helmut Marko will love Hadjar’s team orders stance, and it could help make him the most attractive option to replace Tsunoda heading into the 2026 F1 regulations. Red Bull are testing the ‘physical endurance’ of one driver who could be an option in the future, but he won’t be ready until 2027.

READ MORE: Formula 1 bosses are now privately changing one 2026 rule that frightened Red Bull

Laurent Mekies’ pre-season ‘learner’ comment suggests Isack Hadjar would be perfect for Red Bull

Seeing ex-team boss Laurent Mekies take over the reins at Red Bull could be a good thing for Hadjar. He already knows what he is capable of and how much talent he has. In fact, Mekies could make one Red Bull change that would transform their approach to fighting for the championship.

The new environment and structure within the team will need time to play out. After an almost disastrous 18 months of development, transformation was required, and Verstappen winning the last two races indicates that the direction the team is taking is positive once more.

Time is running out to pick a driver for 2026, but one pre-season comment Mekies made while he was still the boss of Racing Bulls indicates that Hadjar, who learns ‘quick’, could be the right driver to promote.

“Starting the season with a rookie rider is part of this team’s DNA, and so far, Isack has proven to be a quick learner and a good, very fast rider,” Mekies told AUTOHebdo. “He will learn a lot from Yuki, who impressed us all last season.”

His results are an indication that those pre-season comments had some truth to them. Hadjar is one of just four rookies to have achieved a podium in the last 10 years, in a car that isn’t considered more than a midfield contender.

READ MORE: Helmut Marko left ‘laughing’ when asked about the future of one Red Bull driver after Baku

Why now is the best time for Red Bull to promote Isack Hadjar for 2026

After suffering a bit of a mid-season lull, Hadjar has corrected his form. At one stage, he went five consecutive races without scoring a point.

Tsunoda will ‘probably’ drive for Racing Bulls in 2026, which opens the door for Lawson or Hadjar to be promoted.

The former has already had that chance and blown it. Without doing something spectacular in the final seven races of the season, it’s hard to justify him getting another shot just yet.

On the other hand, Hadjar has just scored points at three consecutive events for the second time in 2025, including a podium. Promoting him while his confidence is high would be a great start to his Red Bull career.

As seen multiple times before, confidence is key to taking on someone like Verstappen. Hadjar performing well each weekend is giving Red Bull less excuse to sign someone else.