Ted Kravitz explains why he’s so worried about Isack Hadjar being promoted to Red Bull

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It’s easy to forget that Isack Hadjar is only 21 years old, given that he wasn’t even close to being the youngest rookie on the grid last season.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto were all younger than Isack Hadjar when he made his debut in Australia.

But that shouldn’t distract from how quickly he’s risen up the ranks to be racing in Formula 1, and he sits fifth on the list of the sport’s youngest ever podium finishers after his triumph in Zandvoort.

Red Bull have put their full faith in Hadjar going into 2026, and he’ll be tasked with trying to support Max Verstappen better than his previous teammates have.

Ted Kravitz has suggested that Hadjar might have an advantage over Verstappen going into next season at Red Bull.

However, he’s also concerned about his rapid ascent to a top team in Formula 1 and how the four-time world champion might assert his dominance at Red Bull once again.

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

Ted Kravitz ‘worried’ for Isack Hadjar ahead of 2026 Red Bull F1 promotion

Kravitz was speaking about the most high-profile driver move happening during the winter break on The F1 Show.

He said: “I’m a bit worried about Hadjar.

“I just think, how is it going to be different? Max will get his head around the new regulations, and Hadjar will be doing well to not be crushed like every other one of Max’s teammates.”

Karun Chandhok replied: “I think ultimately it comes back to a philosophical decision at Red Bull.

“Are they chasing the constructors’ championship, in which case they’ve got to find a way to develop a car that two drivers can drive and score points?

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“Max came within two points of the drivers, but they were miles behind in the constructors, right?

“Or are they thinking, you know what? The prestige goes with the drivers’ world championship, and we’re going to put all our eggs with Max and chase that.

“And then you don’t have the problem that McLaren have got, which is the sort of inter-team battle and trying to manage it.

“So, for me, it’s a philosophical decision that Red Bull management have got to make, is how much do they want to have the second car in the fight?”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Isack Hadjar needs to avoid the same problem that lost Sergio Perez support at Red Bull

Although his final campaign with Red Bull wasn’t up to scratch, Sergio Perez is the best example of a Red Bull teammate for Verstappen since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure.

It could be argued that Verstappen hadn’t reached his full potential at that point, but for four years, it was up to Perez to try and get as close as he could to the Dutchman.

Perez believes Verstappen will become the greatest driver in F1 history, highlighting just how highly he regards his old teammate.

But it also created a gulf that only grew as the 28-year-old learned how to extract more from his car than Perez could.

Red Bull staff weren’t happy when Christian Horner renewed Perez’s final contract, because they believed it was costing them part of their bonuses for their finishing position in the constructors’ championship.

For Hadjar to succeed, he needs to make sure that his performances match Red Bull’s expectations when it comes to the team standings.

Otherwise, he’ll quickly discover that he’s also fighting an uphill battle to survive.