Former F1 driver begs Red Bull: 'Please don't put him next to Verstappen too soon

If Yuki Tsunoda is not retained to continue as Max Verstappen's teammate in 2026, former F1 driver Robert Doornbos already sees one candidate for the seat. However, he has also urged Red Bull to proceed with caution when integrating a new driver into the team.

Max Verstappen has convincingly dominated his teammates in recent years. From Daniel Ricciardo in 2018, to Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and now Yuki Tsunoda — none of them have been able to match the Dutchman’s level.

In a conversation with Motorsport.com, Doornbos highlighted Isack Hadjar as a potential option: "Hadjar is a huge talent, a mega qualifying beast. They really have a project for the future with him."

Nevertheless, the former driver advised Red Bull to take their time with the rookie, "Please don't put him next to Max too soon. Because Max devours all his teammates. So if Hadjar can drive for Racing Bulls this way for another year, I think it will make him better. Let me put it this way: I don't think finding another second driver is the top priority for Red Bull Racing right now."

Max Verstappen in conversation with Isack Hadjar - Red Bull Contentpool

Internally, it's not yet decided what exactly will happen with the second seat inside the team. Indeed, Hadjar is a candidate to replace Tsunoda at the Austrian team. Another option is Formula 2 talent Arvid Lindblad. It's known that he's seen as a great talent within Red Bull. Marko even considers the eighteen-year-old Brit as the new Verstappen.

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