Hadjar's early commitment impresses Red Bull boss Mekies

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has been highly impressed by Isack Hadjar's immediate dedication since joining the team, citing the French driver's decision to relocate to the UK in early January as a clear sign of his commitment. Despite some disrupted pre-season testing, Hadjar is integrating well and approaching his daunting task as Max Verstappen's new teammate with a pragmatic and self-critical mindset.

Why it matters:

Stepping into a top team alongside a dominant champion like Verstappen is one of the highest-pressure assignments in Formula 1. Hadjar's proactive efforts to embed himself with the team and his mature acceptance of the steep learning curve ahead are crucial indicators of whether he can handle the mental and professional demands of the role, avoiding the pitfalls that have tripped up previous Verstappen teammates.

The details:

• Immediate Integration: Mekies highlighted that Hadjar moved to Faenza shortly after signing with Racing Bulls last year and then relocated to the UK just days into the new year to be closer to Red Bull's Milton Keynes headquarters.
• Factory Presence: The rookie is a constant presence at the factory, utilizing the simulator between official test sessions to maximize his learning and correlation work.
• Testing Resilience: His pre-season running was hampered by reliability issues, costing him track time in Bahrain and Barcelona, but the team was able to compress the program and Hadjar expressed satisfaction with his understanding of the RB22 car by the end of testing.
• Realistic Mindset: Publicly, Hadjar is setting measured expectations, stating his goal is to "accept that I’m going to be slower the first month" to manage frustration and focus on incremental improvement alongside Verstappen.
• Internal Praise: Former Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane, who worked with Hadjar in 2025, praised his speed, inquisitiveness, and self-critical attitude, noting his first instinct after a problem is to ask "What can I do better?"

What's next:

The focus now shifts to the season opener in Melbourne, where Hadjar's theoretical preparation meets real-world competition. His immediate challenge is to translate simulator work and testing data into consistent point-scoring finishes, while continuing to build a productive working relationship with Verstappen. His acknowledged long-term goal is to target a first race win in 2026, but his pragmatic approach to the early phase of his Red Bull career suggests a focus on steady development rather than immediate headline results.