The second seat at Oracle Redbull Racing has always been shrouded in misfortune. Playing second-fiddle to four-time world champion Max Verstappen has proven to be no easy task for anyone, with a seemingly endless revolving door of drivers filling in the spot over the years. This status quo, however, seems to have changed with the advent of French-Algerian driver Isack Hadjar, who could very well be the seat’s ‘perfect fit.’
Hadjar showed potential during his maiden Formula 1 season with junior team Visa Cash App Racing Bulls last year, claiming a podium at Zandvoort, and finishing 12th in the World Drivers’ Championship. This caught the attention of the senior team, with his promotion announced in December of that same year.
Fast forward to 2026, where his performance alongside Verstappen has certainly got heads turning. Hadjar currently sits at eigth in the drivers’ standings with 86 points earned thus far. With two podium finishes at both the Monaco and Azerbaijan Grands Prix, the Red Bull initiate continues to make his mark, with the former podium achieved after a three-race hiatus following an unfortunate wrist injury.
This highlight-of-the-season performance also coincided with an announcement of a contract extension for the 2027 season, one that Redbull Team Principal Laurent Mekies emphatically backed when asked about his reasoning behind the decision: “We’re very excited to continue our journey with Isack. Since joining us at the start of the year, he has been superb on and off track, especially considering this is only his second Formula 1 season, which made extending his contract an easy decision.”
A similar sentiment is echoed by Hadjar himself, who shared his own assessment of his performance thus far, during an interview on the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast: “I think so far now I’ve been doing a good job at being there.”
When compared to Verstappen’s previous teammates, Hadjar’s average deficit is the closest it has ever been to the Dutchman since Daniel Ricciardo. Formula 1’s data team revealed Hadjar’s current deficit to be at just over 0.1s, with Ricciardo’s lowest 2017 deficit sitting at around half a tenth. The former even bettered the latter’s 2018 deficit of just under 0.2s, showing that there is potential to become Redbull’s closest-matched second driver.
Whether the French-Algerian driver has finally broken the ‘Redbull Second Seat Curse’ remains to be seen, with the later stages of this year’s championship and the 2027 campaign being crucial time for him to establish this as an undisputed fact.
“Isack Hadjar at the Melbourne Walk during the 2026 Australian Grand Prix (028A8753) (cropped)” by Yu Chu Chin is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
