Isack Hadjar is hopeful, heading into the 2026 Formula 1 season, his first with Red Bull Racing, that a maiden race win is on the cards.
Hadjar is only in his second season in the top flight, and he represents Red Bull Racing’s latest attempt at having a decent second driver alongside four-time F1 Champion Max Verstappen.
It has to be noted that Hadjar has impressed with his performances in his rookie F1 season when he was still a Racing Bulls driver and despite a shaky start with his crash on the reconnaissance lap at the opening race in Melbourne.
As such, Red Bull have opted to give him a chance, as their previous choices, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, both failed spectacularly to perform alongside the Dutchman.
The fact that 2026 will feature new cars may be an advantage for Hadjar, with Verstappen suggesting it is the best time for the Frenchman to step up to Red Bull Racing.
Hadjar admitted that he is looking forward to fighting for wins at the sharp end of the 2026 F1 grid.
He said: “The excitement of fighting for wins against top drivers is still going to be here, and that’s what matters the most. But still, you’d like to do it in cars that are super, super fast. It makes it a bit better.
“Obviously, that first race win is on the radar—that would be great,” he went on. “I’d like to see our car progressing faster than the other teams.
“I think that would also be very enjoyable,” the 21-year-old with one F1 podium maintained.
Hadjar crashed the RB22 during the second day of the Barcelona shakedown, which was a reminder of how Pierre Gasly started his life at Red Bull back in 2019 before being fired before the end of that season.
Hadjar commented on that saying: “When I crashed, I thought about it directly; I thought about Pierre.
“So I went on Twitter, and I read everything, and I was like, ‘I’m screwed for the whole season,’ and that’s how I moved on, honestly,” he concluded.
(Reporting by Agnes Carlier)