Isack Hadjar is increasingly being mentioned as the candidate to join Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2026. The Racing Bulls driver is seen as the logical successor to Yuki Tsunoda. However, David Coulthard warns that there’s more to a transition from Racing Bulls to Red Bull than just achieving good results with the sister team.
Isack Hadjar has impressed this season with his strong results. The young Frenchman is seen as one of the key talents within the Red Bull program. When asked if he would be ready to take on Verstappen, Hadjar responds decisively: “I want to test myself and see how good I really am. That’s my motivation, fighting against the best in the world,” he tells Channel 4. “So you’re saying I get to drive alongside the best driver in the world, in the same car? That’s exactly what motivates me.”
Although his performances are impressive, David Coulthard warns that Red Bull doesn’t just give any talent a spot, and that success at Racing Bulls doesn’t automatically mean you can perform at Red Bull once you feel the spotlight, expectations, and pressure. “He’s certainly doing everything right to seize his first chance in Formula 1 and stand out,” Coulthard tells PlanetF1. “But many drivers do well as long as they have freedom and feel less pressure. Once the expectations and pressure increase, you don’t necessarily know if someone can handle that.”
