Hadjar surprised by closer-than-expected pace against Verstappen

Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar has admitted his performance relative to teammate Max Verstappen is closer than he anticipated, marking a surprising and encouraging start to his full-time Formula 1 career amidst the team's early-season difficulties. The 21-year-old Frenchman has shown competitive pace, with the average qualifying gap to the four-time champion standing at just under three-tenths of a second across the first two races.

Why it matters:

For a driver making his debut with the reigning champions, matching up respectably against Verstappen—known for his qualifying dominance and ability to overshadow teammates—is a significant mental and professional milestone. It provides early validation for Hadjar's promotion and could influence the internal team dynamic and his own confidence as Red Bull works to improve its uncompetitive RB22 car.

The details:

• Through the opening rounds in China and Australia, Hadjar has scored 4 points to Verstappen's 8, with each suffering one retirement.
• The average qualifying gap between the two sits at 0.294 seconds, with Verstappen leading the head-to-head 2-1.
• Hadjar explicitly stated, "I'm definitely closer than I expected," when asked about the comparison.
• He elaborated further, suggesting the gap is logical and aligned with his goals: "It's pretty much what I wanted; not what I expected, but what I wanted."

What's next:

The true test will come as the season develops and the car evolves. Hadjar himself noted the unknown variable of future upgrades, saying, "When the car gets upgrades, gets better, and gets easier to drive, let's see how it goes." He remains confident the relative performance can continue, reasoning, "I don't see any reason why it would change, because it's the same car." Maintaining this level against Verstappen as performance pressures increase will be critical for his long-term standing within the Red Bull program.