Isack Hadjar's first Red Bull season: 97 points beside Verstappen
From an engine failure in Melbourne to outqualifying Verstappen at Silverstone, how the Frenchman has handled the toughest seat in F1.
Isack Hadjar arrives at the end of his first Red Bull season eighth in the drivers' standings with 97 points, according to Crash's table after Singapore. Max Verstappen, his team-mate, is fourth on 221. Hadjar is Verstappen's third team-mate since Sergio Perez left the team, PlanetF1 noted.
His season started with promise and frustration. He qualified third for the Australian Grand Prix, but his race ended with an engine failure. By July he had scored points in seven of 10 Grands Prix, and at the British Grand Prix he became the first team-mate to outqualify Verstappen on merit, according to PlanetF1.
The Belgian Grand Prix showed another side of his season. Starting 21st because of engine penalties, he finished sixth, and his slipstream helped Verstappen on the way to third. Team principal Laurent Mekies called it "the best race with us", and former F1 driver Timo Glock described Hadjar on Sky Deutschland as one of the men of the year.
Red Bull has already shown its faith in him: Reuters reported in September that Hadjar's contract has been extended through 2027. PlanetF1 headlines in October also pointed to reliability problems for him in Singapore. Hadjar's first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as a Red Bull driver is on Sunday 6 December at Yas Marina Circuit, the last of the five races that follow Austin.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2026Race day Sun 6 Dec · Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi See ticketsSource: PlanetF1, Crash, Reuters via TimesLIVE
