Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is keeping Isack Hadjar in suspense a little longer. The Racing Bulls driver is the favorite to take over the struggling Yuki Tsunoda‘s seat at Red Bull in 2026. Although Hadjar himself has already declared he is ready to become Max Verstappen‘s teammate, Marko confirms that Red Bull is taking some time to make a final decision.
Isack Hadjar surprised the entire paddock, including himself, with his podium finish in Zandvoort. The French rookie secured the best qualifying position of his career – a fourth starting spot – a day before the main event in the dunes, and subsequently ended up on the podium partly thanks to Lando Norris‘s retirement. The Racing Bulls driver is now also in the top ten of the drivers’ championship, ten places higher than Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda.
Rumors of a potential Red Bull promotion for Hadjar are therefore currently rife in the paddock. The Frenchman himself already told Canal+ that he is ready to become Max Verstappen’s teammate in 2026. “Do I see myself as Max Verstappen’s teammate? Of course. It scares me, but it’s also a great prospect,” Hadjar honestly said.
A Little More Patience Required
However, the Racing Bulls driver must wait a little longer for the final decision. According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, it’s not yet a foregone conclusion that Hadjar will be allowed to join Verstappen next year. “We’re taking our time with this decision,” the Austrian tells OE24. “We’ll calmly observe the upcoming races before making a decision.” Speaking to German Sport.de, Marko provides a clearer deadline: “The end of the year is our absolute cut-off. We’d prefer to make a decision before the Mexico Grand Prix. We want to see how Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson perform, so we can make the right decisions for next year.”
Marko does confirm that Red Bull has a ‘multi-year running contract’ with Hadjar. “That’s why we want to watch a few more races,” the executive continues. “So far, he’s doing very well. Even when he started from the pit lane in Monza, he still finished in tenth place. From a mental perspective, he’s definitely capable of competing against Max.”
