Finding a way to coexist with Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing has proven to be one of Formula 1’s most thankless tasks in recent years. But Isack Hadjar, the French-Algerian rookie who earned his seat at the pinnacle of the sport through sheer pace in the junior categories, says the dynamic at Red Bull might be more collaborative than the outside world assumes.
A Refreshingly Open Dynamic
Since joining Red Bull Racing for the 2025 Formula 1 season, Hadjar has spoken positively about how Verstappen conducts himself internally within the team. Rather than guarding setup secrets or keeping a rival at arm’s length, Verstappen has reportedly been open with his new team-mate in a way that has surprised some observers given his reputation for dominance.
Hadjar has highlighted that Verstappen does not hide setup or driving information, describing the internal relationship as collaborative rather than coldly competitive. For a young driver stepping into one of the most scrutinised seats in the paddock, that kind of environment could prove invaluable.
The Weight of History at Red Bull
The challenge of being Verstappen’s team-mate is not a new storyline. Since Daniel Ricciardo’s acrimonious departure to Renault ahead of the 2019 season, Red Bull has cycled through a series of drivers who could not close the performance gap to their four-time world champion. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson have all occupied the seat alongside Verstappen at various points, and none managed to consistently challenge him across a full season.
Perez, arguably the most experienced of the group, came closest during 2022 when he pushed Verstappen into the final rounds before ultimately falling away. By 2024 his form had deteriorated so sharply that Red Bull made the decision to replace him entirely. Lawson and Tsunoda followed, neither making the kind of impression that would earn them a long-term future in the senior car.
Hadjar’s Path to the Top
Hadjar’s elevation to the Red Bull seat was not handed to him out of necessity. The 20-year-old earned it through a convincing maiden campaign in the feeder series, demonstrating the kind of raw speed and racecraft that convinced the Red Bull hierarchy he was ready for the step up. His promotion felt earned in a way that gave him a psychological platform his predecessors may not always have enjoyed.
That foundation matters. Drivers who arrive at Red Bull under pressure, or as stop-gap solutions, have historically found it difficult to assert themselves against Verstappen both on track and in the political environment of a top team. Hadjar arrives with momentum and with the team’s apparent confidence behind him, which may help explain why the working relationship has started on such positive terms.
What Openness from Verstappen Actually Means
It would be easy to overstate the significance of Verstappen sharing information with a team-mate. At the level of Formula 1, raw data is available to everyone within the garage regardless. What matters is the texture of the relationship, whether a faster driver is willing to explain his thinking, talk through setup philosophy, and engage genuinely with someone who is still learning the machinery.
If Hadjar’s account is accurate, Verstappen is doing exactly that. The Red Bull car has long been described as a difficult machine to extract the maximum from, with a setup window that suits Verstappen’s aggressive, high-entry-speed driving style in ways that have confounded his team-mates. Any insight into how Verstappen approaches that challenge is potentially worth more than any amount of telemetry data alone.
The question is whether Hadjar can actually apply those lessons. Understanding how Verstappen drives and being able to replicate it are two very different things. Several of his predecessors understood the theory perfectly well and still couldn’t close the gap on a Sunday afternoon.
Championship and Season Implications
For Red Bull as a constructor, having a genuinely competitive second driver is not just about internal bragging rights. The Constructors’ Championship requires both cars to score, and in recent seasons Red Bull has left significant points on the table when the second seat underperformed. Ferrari and McLaren have both demonstrated the value of a cohesive driver pairing, and Red Bull will need Hadjar to deliver consistently if they are to challenge for both titles in 2025.
There is also the broader narrative of Verstappen’s legacy to consider. A dominant champion is always more compelling when the measure of that dominance is a capable team-mate rather than a driver simply trying to survive each weekend. If Hadjar can at least push Verstappen on a regular basis, it benefits both drivers and the championship story as a whole.
Looking Ahead
Isack Hadjar enters the 2025 season with more goodwill and more genuine optimism than most of Verstappen’s recent team-mates could claim. The early signs from within the Red Bull garage are encouraging, with an atmosphere of openness that represents a chance, perhaps the best chance any driver has had in years, to genuinely learn from the fastest driver on the grid. Whether that translates into competitive lap times and points finishes remains to be seen. But for now, Hadjar appears to have navigated the first and most delicate challenge of life at Red Bull: getting Verstappen onside.