Red Bull Issues Strong Hint Hadjar Will Stay for 2027

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has strongly suggested Isack Hadjar will remain with the team for the 2027 Formula 1 season. Hadjar, who joined the Milton Keynes outfit this year, secured his seventh consecutive top-six finish in Hungary last weekend, delivering the kind of consistency Red Bull has sorely lacked from its second car in recent seasons.

Why it matters:

Red Bull has cycled through several drivers alongside Max Verstappen, with few managing to string together regular point-scoring results. Locking in a stable second seat is critical for the team's constructors' championship ambitions and for giving Verstappen a reliable benchmark within the garage.

The details:

• Speaking to De Telegraaf, Mekies said it was "good news" to finally have a strong second driver after "quite a long time," directly crediting Hadjar's solid run of form.
• Mekies pointed out that Hadjar has learned extensively from Verstappen and the team, which has helped bring the two cars closer together on race weekends.
• While Mekies stopped short of an official confirmation for 2027, he stated that "everyone can see" Hadjar is doing an excellent job and that the team will make a "logical decision" regarding its future lineup.

What's next:

Attention now turns to Verstappen's own future with the squad, which remains a lingering question mark despite an existing contract. For Hadjar, Mekies' remarks virtually seal his spot for next year, allowing the Frenchman to focus on maintaining his impressive form through the remainder of the 2026 campaign.