Max Verstappen is looking forward to working with his brand-new teammate Isack Hadjar. The French‑Algerian driver, following his debut year with Racing Bulls, will race for Red Bull for the first time. Hadjar immediately faces a major challenge as Verstappen’s teammate, but the Dutchman has some advice: “You have to keep telling yourself: ‘I can beat anyone.’”
Isack Hadjar is this season Verstappen’s new teammate at Red Bull. The French‑Algerian driver succeeds, among others, Alexander Albon, Pierre Gasly, Sergio Pérez and Yuki Tsunoda — drivers who each came off second best to the Dutch world champion. Albon and Pérez had already suggested that Hadjar, partly because of the new regulations, will not suffer the same fate. Verstappen now himself also offers his fresh teammate advice ahead of the season opener in Melbourne.
The multiple world champion advises the young driver to begin his time at Red Bull with real confidence. “As a driver you always have to believe you’re the best,” Verstappen tells the Up to Speed podcast. “That should be the approach. You have to tell yourself: ‘I can beat everyone.’ When I started in Formula 1 I thought the same: ‘Give me the right car and I’ll win the championship.’ That’s how I think. So I’m actually very happy with the approach I took in my first year. Stay a bit in the midfield, fight for points, but of course make a few stupid mistakes as well. I think that’s a good start.”
‘Nice guy’
Hadjar also made several mistakes as a rookie in his first Formula 1 season. For example, the driver crashed already during the formation lap of his very first Grand Prix in Melbourne. Verstappen says he’s pleased with his new team-mate for 2026. “He’s a really nice guy,” the world champion said. “Of course, when you’re just starting your second year you’re in a very different headspace. I’m starting my twelfth season, so I’m a bit more relaxed. I’m sure we’ll get on well. I’ve known him for some time, of course — from the junior team and later during his Formula 1 career. So that’s absolutely no problem.”
