Isack Hadjar will drive alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen for the 2026 Formula 1 season. Ahead of the Red Bull Racing livery launch, he revealed how he has been preparing for the upcoming season.

After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hadjar said he planned to head straight to the simulator for the winter break, and he did. “I was on the sim mid-December, and obviously, there was a shutdown, and as soon as it opened again, I was on the sim. So after a lot of holidays, but good enough, long enough for me.”

With 2026 being Hadjar’s second season in Formula 1, he has been hard at work. However, with new regulations in place, he has not been able to fully grasp the concept of the 2026 Red Bull Racing car.

He said, “Before I get a taste of the car, it's all only going to be expectations and doubts, questions. But after the test, it's going to be real.”

Next week, the newly appointed Red Bull driver will take part in pre-season testing in Barcelona, where he will drive the car for the first time. This time last year, Hadjar was about to begin his first season alongside Yuki Tsunoda. However, when the season ended, he stood alongside Liam Lawson. This is because Lawson was demoted after two races during the 2025 season.

His new teammate, Verstappen, had two teammates last season. When prompted about how he was mentally preparing to be Verstappen’s next teammate, Hadjar admitted he was not doing anything in particular. The French-Algerian driver also said, “If I'm being honest, just waiting, getting ready,” he answered to GPblog.

Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen after the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix - Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

Hadjar was promoted at the end of the 2025 season, coinciding with the end of the ground-effect era. Now, he has joined Red Bull Racing under new rules and regulations, and he views this as a plus.

However, he understands that while timing is right, his teammate is still one of the more dominant drivers on the grid. “Starting from scratch is definitely going to be helpful for me as a new guy in the team. I think it's the right timing to change teams, so I feel very lucky on that aspect. But then, regarding Max, whatever the car, it's still going to be Max.”

Despite being younger than Lawson and Tsunoda, Hadjar was the driver selected for the 2026 Red Bull lineup. This decision came after a successful 2025 season in which he finished on the podium ahead of both of Verstappen’s teammates last year.

However, Hadjar does not see his young age as a negative factor. “I'm sharper than an older guy, that's for sure.”

In Detroit, Michigan, Red Bull unveiled its 2026 team kit and livery ahead of the Barcelona pre-season testing. Find out more here!

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