Laurent Mekies says Isack Hadjar has copied Liam Lawson’s preparation for his Red Bull promotion

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Isack Hadjar is the latest driver facing the unenviable task of being Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate this season, and has now taken a leaf out of Liam Lawson’s book to try to get up to speed.

Liam Lawson currently holds the record for the shortest stint as a Red Bull driver in Formula 1 history.

Despite only lasting two races at Red Bull, Lawson did enough to retain his seat for 2026, fending off Yuki Tsunoda, who was well aware of his fate following a very challenging campaign.

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Isack Hadjar impressed for Racing Bulls during his maiden campaign and is getting ready to step into Tsunoda’s seat for the first time at the Australian Grand Prix.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has been very complimentary about the young Frenchman and pointed out that he’s now copying Lawson’s preparation technique of moving to Milton Keynes to get to know the team better ahead of the season starting.

READ MORE: Who is 2026 Red Bull F1 driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know

Laurent Mekies says Isack Hadjar has moved to Milton Keynes after his Red Bull promotion

In an interview with UOL Motorsport, when asked about Hadjar, Mekies said: “So far, he has done everything right, showing the right approach in terms of commitment and personality.

“He moved to England immediately, is at the Milton Keynes headquarters every other day, and lives in close contact with the team.

“Between the two tests in Sakhir, he went back to the simulator; he’s not leaving anything behind.”

His teammate, Max Verstappen, currently resides in Monaco, and Hadjar has sacrificed moving to the glamorous principality to put his F1 career first.

Will Isack Hadjar be psychologically crushed by being Max Verstappen’s teammate this year?

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“We all know that even with an extraordinary starting point, we are facing motorsport giants with immense experience,” Mekies said when addressing Red Bull’s task of competing with more established works teams this season.

“We have already climbed the first mountain, but there is another one ahead. We are here to fight, currently a little behind the other three main teams, but ready to give everything to catch up.”

Lawson moved to Milton Keynes back in 2019, and in an interview with the BBC, he admitted: “It’s fair to say I’ve done a few roundabouts in my time!

“The hairpin in Monaco is tighter than most roundabouts in Milton Keynes.”

Lawson also admitted that he was doing sim work, and mainly racing while he was a reserve driver, ‘three or four times a week’ to keep sharp.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Laurent Mekies sings Max Verstappen’s praises in preparation for the 2026 F1 season

As well as the work Hadjar has been undertaking at the Red Bull factory, Mekies was keen to not underplay how important Verstappen has been to the team’s progress over the winter.

He explained: “It’s been fantastic. Max embodies motorsport in every sense; there’s not a single detail he misses.

“What he does behind the wheel is clear to everyone, but from the inside you can appreciate his extraordinary technical sensitivity and his complete understanding of this sport, which I imagine comes from having been immersed in it his whole life.”

“He has an unlimited vision; his role goes far beyond piloting. He is a true driving force for everyone working on the project and plays a crucial role throughout the system.

“He is involved in every aspect, when we take risks, when we face setbacks, in every decision. In a regulatory change as radical as this, he is an enormous added value.”

Lawson has spent years in Milton Keynes, as he rose through the ranks as a Red Bull junior driver, and then, when he finally made it to F1.

Being from France, Hadjar’s need to move wasn’t quite as desperate, as Lawson was never going to be able to commute from New Zealand, the same way Oscar Piastri moved to the UK from Australia at an early age.

However, that buy-in from Hadjar could be essential, even if Lawson’s spell with Red Bull ultimately didn’t work out.