Isack Hadjar rates Red Bull season as positive, eyes first podium

French driver Isack Hadjar, 21, said his first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season with Red Bull is a positive one. He is seventh in the championship, 31 points behind teammate Max Verstappen, and stresses that he wants to fight for a podium despite the team not being the outright fastest. "When you arrive you know where you land, so I had some doubts because it’s Max," Hadjar said, noting growing regularity and progress compared with his rookie year.

After the Belgian Grand Prix, Hadjar climbed from 21st on the grid to sixth place using a bold tyre strategy, prompting Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies to praise him as a calm, improving teammate. Mekies added, "Isack improves every time he drives the car and stays calm. He is now the best team‑mate after Ricciardo." The Frenchman has recorded six consecutive top‑six finishes, about 66 % of Verstappen’s points, and is seen as the strongest second driver in Red Bull’s recent history.