When Isack Hadjar parked his RB22 in P5 at Silverstone, two places ahead of Max Verstappen, the conversation around Red Bull’s second seat began to change. This was not a quiet midfield circuit or a session shaped entirely by rain. Hadjar delivered on a fast, exposed track where confidence through Copse, Maggotts and Becketts can separate the committed from the cautious. He also did it during a Sprint weekend, when teams had only one practice session before competitive running began.
His preparation had hardly been smooth. A poor Sprint start and an energy-deployment problem left him outside the points on Saturday morning. Hours later, he produced the cleaner lap when Grand Prix qualifying mattered. Hadjar then finished P5 on Sunday despite front-wing damage that cost him performance and valuable time in the pits.
After nine rounds, he has 52 points to Verstappen’s 76. Red Bull no longer has to ask whether its second driver belongs. It must decide how central Hadjar should become to its future.
Silverstone Was More Than One Fast Lap
Outqualifying Verstappen does not make Hadjar Red Bull’s new number one. The comparison still needs context. Verstappen battled poor balance, weak straight-line speed, and an engine response problem during qualifying. Hadjar was happier with his car and made fewer mistakes. Still, delivering the lap remains part of the job.
Red Bull has spent years watching experienced drivers lose confidence when the car moves away from their preferred window. Hadjar recognised his opportunity and took it. Sunday’s Grand Prix then proved Saturday was not a fluke.
Hadjar launched well and stayed close to Verstappen during the opening Medium-tyre stint. Verstappen passed him on lap four and displayed stronger race pace, but Hadjar remained close enough to study how his teammate managed the RB22 through Silverstone’s high-speed sections. His pace then disappeared.
Hadjar initially suspected tyre degradation, but switching to the Hard compound changed little. Red Bull eventually found a loss of front load and replaced its damaged front wing during a second stop. The repair cost around eight seconds, yet his lap times immediately improved from the 1:34 range to the 1:32 range.
That detail changes how his battle with Lando Norris should be judged. Norris did not simply drive past a healthy Red Bull. Hadjar was fighting a damaged front end, struggling for grip on the Hard tyre and waiting for the team to identify the problem. Once the wing was replaced, he recovered much of his early pace.
Verstappen followed a different pattern. His RB22 worked reasonably well on the Medium compound, allowing him to fight George Russell and Lewis Hamilton for P3. The Hard tyre exposed the car’s limitations again. A rear-wing failure eventually removed downforce and sent him out of the race.
Hadjar reached the finish in P5. It was not the maximum result available, but it was a credible recovery from a compromised afternoon.
Hadjar Has Changed The Standard Beside Verstappen
The clearest evidence of Hadjar’s impact sits in the standings. After nine rounds, only 24 points separate Red Bull’s drivers. Hadjar has contributed more than 40 per cent of the team’s championship total. Red Bull now expects both cars to score points rather than relying almost entirely on Verstappen.
The contrast with 2025 is impossible to ignore. Tsunoda collected 33 points across the full 24-round season. Hadjar has already scored 52 after only nine rounds in 2026.
Different cars and different competitive orders prevent a perfect comparison, but the wider point still stands. Last season, Red Bull’s second car became a glaring weakness while Verstappen carried almost the entire competitive burden. Hadjar has made that side of the garage relevant again.
The paddock has noticed the shift in the internal dynamic. Former Formula 1 television presenter Will Buxton offered one of the strongest assessments of Hadjar’s progress.
“Hadjar, I’d argue, is probably the best teammate Max Verstappen has had since Daniel Ricciardo in terms of how close he is to him,” Buxton said.
That is a major comparison after only nine rounds together. Ricciardo raced Verstappen across several seasons and defeated him often enough to establish a genuine internal rivalry. Hadjar has not reached that level.
What he has done is remove the assumption that Verstappen will automatically overwhelm the driver in the other car every weekend. Hadjar can reach Q3, score heavily and occasionally place the RB22 ahead when Verstappen or the car leaves an opening.
For Red Bull, that represents real progress. The team finally has a teammate who appears to be learning from Verstappen rather than being consumed by the comparison.
Red Bull’s Driver Pipeline Is Becoming A Bottleneck
Hadjar needed to establish himself quickly because pressure was building underneath him. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad finished P6 and P7 at Silverstone. Racing Bulls has scored with both cars in four consecutive Grands Prix, turning the sister team into more than a holding area for uncertain prospects.
Nikola Tsolov is creating another problem in Formula 2. The Red Bull junior completed the Sprint and Feature Race double at Silverstone, becoming the first driver in the championship’s history to win three consecutive races.
Red Bull therefore has Verstappen and Hadjar in its senior team, Lawson and Lindblad at Racing Bulls, and Tsolov pushing towards Formula 1. Tsunoda has already been moved into a reserve role. There are only four race seats.
Hadjar’s progress solves the immediate question beside Verstappen, but it reduces Red Bull’s room to manoeuvre. Lawson has recovered strongly enough to deserve stability. Lindblad is producing points during his rookie season. Tsolov will expect a clear route if his Formula 2 form continues.
A delayed promotion could force Red Bull to place Tsolov with another organisation or risk losing him to a rival programme. Tsunoda, meanwhile, has the least secure position after being removed from the active grid.
This is no longer a vague development problem. Red Bull has names, results and deadlines pressing against the same four seats.
Verstappen Rumours Raise The Stakes
Verstappen leaving Red Bull remains paddock noise rather than a confirmed plan, but the team cannot afford to be caught unprepared. Should he stay, Hadjar gives Red Bull something it has lacked for years: a second driver capable of supporting a serious constructors’ campaign.
He does not need to match Verstappen every weekend. Hadjar needs to qualify near him, collect points and punish rivals when opportunities appear.
Should Verstappen leave, Hadjar offers continuity and detailed knowledge of the RB22. More importantly, he has already shown that direct comparison with a four-time world champion does not overwhelm him.
None of that makes Hadjar an immediate replacement for Verstappen’s speed, experience or authority. Silverstone exposed the remaining gap. Verstappen fought for a podium despite a difficult car, while Hadjar was heading for P5 before the late retirement.
Yet Red Bull spent years worrying about whether its second driver could survive. It now has to decide how quickly Hadjar can become something more, while Lawson, Lindblad and Tsolov keep knocking on the door.
That is a better headache than the old one. It is also the kind that punishes hesitation.
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FAQs
Did Isack Hadjar outqualify Max Verstappen at Silverstone?
Yes. Hadjar qualified P5, while Verstappen took P7 after struggling with balance, straight-line speed and engine response.
Why did Hadjar suddenly lose pace during the British Grand Prix?
Front-wing damage reduced his car’s load and cost nearly two seconds per lap. His pace returned after Red Bull replaced the wing.
How many points did Hadjar have after nine rounds of 2026?
Hadjar had 52 points after nine rounds, leaving him 24 behind Verstappen’s total of 76.
Why does Red Bull face a driver dilemma?
Hadjar is performing while Lawson, Lindblad and Tsolov are pushing for limited seats. Questions about Verstappen’s future increase the pressure.
Is Hadjar ready to replace Verstappen at Red Bull?
Not yet. Hadjar has shown speed and resilience, but Verstappen still holds a clear advantage in experience, authority and overall race pace.
