Isack Hadjar's Impact on the Red Bull Second Seat: A Statistical Review
Isack Hadjar's performance at Red Bull is being closely analyzed, particularly in how he measures up against teammate Max Verstappen. Early data suggests Hadjar is making strides where previous partners struggled.
In the high-stakes world of Formula 1, taking the second seat at Red Bull has often felt like stepping into an unwinnable game of chess, especially when your teammate is Max Verstappen. Isack Hadjar, however, seems to be playing his pieces rather well.
The 2026 season marked Hadjar's debut alongside Verstappen, after a promising rookie year with Racing Bulls. The question on everyone's mind is whether Hadjar can break what many perceive as a 'curse' of the second seat at Red Bull. To get to the bottom of this, let's dive into the numbers.
Qualifying Performance: A Closer Look
Since 2017, when Verstappen completed his first full season with Red Bull, many have tried and struggled to match his pace. However, Hadjar is proving to be a formidable challenger. His average qualifying delta to Verstappen is just over 0.1 seconds, the closest any teammate has come since Daniel Ricciardo, who managed a half-tenth gap in 2017.
In 2018, Ricciardo's gap widened to nearly 0.2 seconds, a benchmark Hadjar has already surpassed. In contrast, Yuki Tsunoda's 2025 deficit to Verstappen was over 0.6 seconds, while Alex Albon and Sergio Perez both found themselves more than half a second adrift in their respective years with the team.
Points Gap: Narrowing the Divide
Hadjar's performance isn't just about one-lap pace. His points deficit to Verstappen, currently 41 points after 11 races, is one of the narrowest in recent Red Bull history. Last year, Verstappen finished a staggering 388 points ahead of Tsunoda.
Even in 2023, when Perez was Verstappen's closest competitor, the points gap was a hefty 290. The only driver to score more points than Verstappen in a season was Ricciardo in 2017, ending 32 points ahead—an achievement Hadjar might still have in his sights.
As the 2026 season progresses, Hadjar's statistics are promising. Whether he can maintain this momentum and perhaps even achieve a points tally closer to Verstappen's than Ricciardo did remains to be seen.
While the second half of the season is yet to unfold, Hadjar's blend of pace and consistency could very well redefine the narrative of Red Bull's second seat. For now, the Frenchman is certainly making his mark, and Verstappen may just have the challenge he's been missing.