Has Red Bull’s second seat curse struck Hadjar?

Credit: Formula One

For the past decade, the phantom of the second Red Bull seat has lingered around the paddock. The subsequent domino effect has surrounded the team since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure in 2018, with five drivers occupying the seat within the following years. Many have tried and faltered in the challenge of running in Max Verstappen’s shadow, though those same drivers have succeeded elsewhere on the grid, raising the question of why that particular seat causes so many drivers to stumble. 

But the newly promoted rookie, Isack Hadjar, piqued interest for his similar aggressive driving approach, prompting a question: Have Red Bull finally found a match, or is Hadjar headed for the same storyline in the next chapter of the second-seat saga?

A not-so-fairy tale start

After a strong debut with Racing Bulls, finishing ahead of teammate Liam Lawson and sealing an unexpected podium in Zandvoort, Hadjar succeeded Yuki Tsunoda and was announced as the next pilot of the second Red Bull seat for 2026. Many pundits, journalists and fans alike debated if this move was too soon, but Hadjar would silence those doubts in Australia.

The new Formula One regulations meant it was a race to master the regulations. As qualifying got underway on Saturday in Australia, a rear-axle lock meant Verstappen crashed in Q1, leaving Hadjar the sole contender for the team. However, when many would falter at the challenge, the Frenchman rose to the test and qualified third on the grid. Following the session, Hadjar remarked on the result as “the perfect start to my Red Bull career”.

With momentum on his side, Hadjar lined up behind the pair of Mercedes with the ultimate aim of adding a second trophy to his cabinet. The 21-year-old had an excellent launch off the line, fighting to grab the race lead, but began dropping down to restore missing energy to his battery. Heartbreak struck on Lap 11, as smoke began spilling out of Hadjar’s airbox, forcing him to retire for a second time in Australia.

Credit: Formula One

Looking to bounce back the following weekend in China, frustration once again hit the young driver. In the first sprint of the season, Hadjar started 10th for the 19-lap sprint. However, a slow-starting Kimi Antonelli dropped positions and hit the side of the Red Bull driver, which hindered his race, rounding out the sprint in 15th.

After a disappointing sprint, Hadjar was able to bounce back in qualifying. He secured a strong time that sealed ninth position, only two-tenths behind Verstappen, but the difficulties of the 2026 Red Bull challenger were becoming more evident.

As the race went underway, the drivers jostled for position. Hadjar dived down the inside of Oliver Bearman, but after completing the overtake, he spun at the exit of Turn 13, dropping him to the back of the field. As he pitted for hard tyres, he worked his way through the field to gather positions back and finish the race in a respectable eighth.

“The car was just super hard to drive [on Sunday], a lot more than it was the last two days,” Hadjar said.

“It just caught me off guard on Lap 1, and even the whole race, I was just fighting with it. It was just very instantaneous, the way the car snapped out from me. 

“I didn't have time to have an input on that. The thing just spun out and I was done.”

As the third race of the season in Japan approached, Hadjar sat on four points in the standings. 

During qualifying, teammate Verstappen was knocked out by Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bull’s rookie Arvid Lindblad, with the responsibility for a strong qualifying session once again lying on Hadjar’s shoulders. He secured an eighth-place starting position.

Despite a strong start, Hadjar dropped down the pecking order over a depleted battery; he sat in Lindblad’s mirrors for the majority of the opening stint of the race. After a Safety Car period, Hadjar was running in 13th and by the end of the race, only moved up one position to 12th.

"I ran out of battery very early on the start/finish straight and started to be overtaken by everyone on every lap [while] trying to recover energy,” Hadjar said.

“I was just stuck for a while, so it was not very nice in the car."

A questionable deficit

Following the cancellation of both Middle Eastern races in April, F1 was forced into a one-month interval. Though, this worked in Red Bull’s favour, as it meant they were able to adjust significant changes to their struggling car. The team entered with new aero upgrades and steering changes.

Verstappen excelled with the upgrades, finishing fifth in the sprint, before a tight battle for pole position, where he settled for second, only one-tenth adrift from Antonelli. Hadjar, on the other hand, struggled as he maintained his underwhelming point-less ninth position during the sprint. Though he initially qualified in ninth, eight-tenths off Verstappen, Hadjar’s weekend went from one issue to another, as he was disqualified following a technical infringement, meaning he had to start from the pit lane.

Hadjar questioned the deficit in the post-qualifying interviews, describing his frustration about the shortfall of eight-tenths.

"Honestly, since this morning, I've been struggling to… I don't really understand what's going on. It's frustrating; I'm a second behind my team-mate.

"I've always known why I was slower and why I was sometimes faster than him in the first three races. But a second? We'll have to find out why. I know I can still drive.

"I'm not going to understand it. It's also difficult to analyse the developments in this context, that's for sure. I'm not enjoying the car at all.

“For me, it's not a big step forward. For Max, he's certainly half a second off pole. It's the best result of the year for us."

As the race went underway, Hadjar began his recovery drive, where he moved up the pecking order. But his day came to a premature end on Lap 6, as he clipped the kerb, which broke his suspension as he crashed into the Turn 13 barriers.

A frustrated Hadjar after a costly mistake | Credit: Formula One

“This one really hurts because I had such good pace,” Hadjar said in the aftermath of his crash.

“It felt very easy overtaking. Honestly, I'd like to just look back at what happened, but it went by so quickly that I was already in the wall.

“Very disappointed to throw away points and also hurt the car.” 

After the crash, Hadjar was seen hitting his steering wheel and helmet in frustration. With a three-week gap between Miami and the upcoming round in Canada, new upgrades are being brought, though this package will be significantly smaller than the one in Miami. 

Is history repeating itself?

The shock departure from Helmut Marko in December may grant Hadjar extra time to adjust to the car, which drivers like Lawson — who was demoted after only two races in Red Bull — weren’t graced with.

Factoring in the new regulations and the shortcomings of the RB22, Hadjar has had a difficult beginning to adapt to the Red Bull seat. When mistakes or engine issues haven’t hindered him, the Frenchman was able to seal a crucial third position. Hadjar has proven to be resilient and perseverant, despite the challenges. This was evident last season when a mistake during his first race in Australia brought an early end to his debut, but he bounced back a few months later with his maiden podium.

Red Bull has openly backed Hadjar, with Laurent Mekies explaining his car has been struggling with power on the straights.

"I think in terms of driving and rhythms, he slowly got into the right rhythm, I think he would have been strong in the race, and he was strong for the little bit he could have shown,” Mekies said, reaffirming his support for the 21-year-old.

"Hence, I don't think we are worried. We certainly didn't have a clean weekend. We didn't help him either by sending him from the back of the grid after our mistake with the legality of the car. So, no, not worried. Not a clean weekend, but there is every indication that he will be at the right speed again in Montreal."

Hadjar will be put to the test in Canada, with Mekies' conclusion on where the Frenchman realistically should be. But, with the insight we’ve had into Hadjar’s talent, could the young talent be the one to finally break the chain?

Edited by Meghana Sree