How improving Hadjar is learning from Verstappen

(opens in a new tab)Sign InSubscribeF1ScheduleResultsStandingsDriversTeamsUnlockedOpen menuFIA if(window.f1MobileDetection.iOSSafari) { var meta = document.createElement("meta"); meta.name = "apple-itunes-app"; meta.content = "app-id=835022598, app-argument=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/how-hadjar-continues-to-make-progress-at-red-bull-while-learning-from-verstappen.4Qr4teIOgUJQONhBO4ngFK.4Qr4teIOgUJQONhBO4ngFK"; document.head.appendChild(meta); } {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/how-hadjar-continues-to-make-progress-at-red-bull-while-learning-from-verstappen.4Qr4teIOgUJQONhBO4ngFK","url":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/how-hadjar-continues-to-make-progress-at-red-bull-while-learning-from-verstappen.4Qr4teIOgUJQONhBO4ngFK","mainEntityOfPage":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/how-hadjar-continues-to-make-progress-at-red-bull-while-learning-from-verstappen.4Qr4teIOgUJQONhBO4ngFK","datePublished":"2026-07-11T07:55:56.905Z","dateModified":"2026-07-11T07:55:56.905Z","headline":"How Isack Hadjar continues to make progress at Red Bull while learning from Max Verstappen","author":"F1","description":"While most of the focus at Red Bull over the Silverstone weekend was on the struggles of Max Verstappen, his team mate Isack Hadjar continued to make good progress – and earn the praise of his boss.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.formula1.com/image/upload/t_16by9Centre/f_auto/q_auto/v1783077689/trackside-images/2026/F1_Grand_Prix_of_Great_Britain___Practice__Sprint_Qualifying/2284464759.jpg"},"isAccessibleForFree":"true","publisher":{"@type":"SportsOrganization","@id":"https://www.formula1.com#organization","name":"Formula 1","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.formula1.com/etc/designs/fom-website/social/f1-default-share.jpg","width":"480","height":"120"}}}Isack HadjarMax VerstappenRed Bull RacingShow more tagsHow Hadjar continues to make progress at Red Bull while learning from VerstappenIsack Hadjar enjoyed one of his strongest races of the 2026 season thus far at Silverstone, despite being hampered by a wing issue. While most of the focus at Red Bull over the Silverstone weekend was on the struggles of Max Verstappen, his team mate Isack Hadjar continued to make good progress – and earn the praise of his boss. Indeed, the Frenchman enjoyed one of his strongest races of the 2026 season thus far, despite being handicapped by a wing issue that cost him performance and some vital seconds in the pits when it was finally rectified. Boosted by a strong race in Austria, he qualified in P5 at Silverstone, two spots ahead of Verstappen, who was struggling with balance and power unit issues. In the race, Hadjar held that spot initially until Verstappen got by on the fourth lap. During the first stint he felt a drop-off in performance, which he initially attributed to tyres – but a stop for fresh rubber didn’t rectify it. The team realised that he had some front wing damage, so it was duly changed at his second stop, at a cost of around eight seconds. His pace instantly went from the 1m 34s to the 1m 32s bracket, but the damage to his race had already been done. “A very good start this time,” he said afterwards. “The pace in the first three laps was very nice. I think I was kind of kind with Max! Also it was good to follow him, which I was doing really well. And then suddenly, a huge drop-off of pace. “I thought, okay, maybe there's something wrong I did in terms of tyre management. I went on the hard new tyres, no pace, very confused. “I was told we were missing load on the car, and once they changed the front wing, I went back again, and I gained nearly two seconds straight away. So a waste of a race, really." Without the issues Hadjar would likely have been able to challenge Norris for P4, and he also lost the chance to make further progress when the race wasn’t resumed after the Safety Car was called following his team mate's off. He did at least enjoy that early but brief tussle with his team mate. "I had the stint on the medium, great pace,” the 21-year-old explained. “Okay, there's something to be done on that final lap, especially with all the deployment game, I had warm tyres. So I don't know why we didn't restart. I definitely wanted a final lap; it would have been maybe a shot at a podium. “[Battling Verstappen] was fun, it was great, and I felt good behind him for a couple of laps, until I lost everything. He was very impressive today again, he was fighting for a podium, so good information. But I wish I didn't have to change the front wing.” Hadjar might have been left frustrated, but it was another feisty performance, and one that impressed Team Principal Laurent Mekies. “We have read a loss of performance on Isack’s car in the race,” Mekies said on Sunday evening. “It’s too early to say why [the wing was damaged], but it was frustrating. On the positive side, I think Isack produced a strong weekend. “Honestly, he has been strong since the beginning of the season, in a way that in the bad weekends, where the car was good, and when the car was not good, he was able to do his own path and to progress race after race, in terms of experience, in terms of skills. “He's learning a lot from Max, he's learning a bit more every time he drives the car. And today was no different. He's not going to be satisfied with a P5 or with a P4 – we are not going to be either. “But certainly the big picture for us is that it's a step forward every time he goes out with the car, and that's positive for the rest of the season.” One of the obvious questions was why – the wing issue in the race aside – Hadjar was less vocal about the RB22 than Verstappen. Mekies puts it down to experience. “Max is unhappy with the car balance, that's a fact,” he said. “He feels that the underlying performance of the car could bring into much better results if we manage to solve the balance limitations we are having. “I think Isack reads the same balance limitation, a similar balance limitation, so we are not in a situation where one driver says 'A', and the other drivers says 'B'. They are describing the same thing – they are describing it in a different way. “I think Max is projecting what he feels the potential of the car will be, whilst Isack, being a bit newer to the game, probably doesn't elaborate into that so much.” Ferrari complete first laps around Madring in an F1 carAll the F1 teams and drivers at 2026 Goodwood Festival of SpeedPOLL: Which driver will win the 2026 World Championship?VoteOUR PARTNERSView allDownload the Official F1 AppYour ultimate companion into
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