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How Isack Hadjar stacks up against Max Verstappen’s former team-mates
For the 2026 season, Isack Hadjar will take on one of the toughest jobs in F1 after being named as Max Verstappen's team-mate. But what does it really take? Let’s look at those who came before him.
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Following a sensational rookie Formula One season for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls that included a debut podium at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, Isack Hadjar has been handed the dream opportunity to partner four-time world champion Max Verstappen at Oracle Red Bull Racing for the 2026 world championship season.
Red Bull are in the unique position of having four seats on the Formula One grid across Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, allowing for driver rotation between the two teams.
A podium in his rookie season has really put Isack Hadjar on the F1 map
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Hadjar will swap the Racing Bulls for Red Bull Racing in 2026
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
After earning his new seat, Hadjar will join the senior Red Bull team at the start of an exciting new era for F1, as the sport will see the biggest shake-up to its technical regulations for several decades in 2026 and the debut of Red Bull Ford Powertrains in the all-new RB22, which will break cover in Detroit, USA, on January 15, 2026.
Hadjar will replace Yuki Tsunoda in the team, with the Japanese driver moving into the role of Red Bull Test and Reserve Driver for 2026 after he himself stepped in to replace Liam Lawson in the RB21 early in the 2025 season.
Yuki Tsunoda stepped in to drive the RB21 early in the 2025 season
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Tsunoda will now step into a testing role for the team
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Max Verstappen’s team-mates
Let’s look at how four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen compares with his former team-mates…
01
Yuki Tsunoda
- Team: Red Bull Racing
- Grands Prix: 21 (all teamed with Verstappen)
- Best Grid Position: 6
- Highest Finish: 6
- Points scored: 33
Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda share a joke
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Yuki Tsunoda stepped in to drive the RB21 early in the 2025 season
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Chatting to the fans in Brazil
© Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Yuki Tsunoda matured in his four full seasons with the Faenza-based Racing Bulls (and also raced under the marque's former name, Scuderia AlphaTauri) having impressed in the feeder series. Tsunoda stared karting when he was nine and did enough to impress Honda who signed him to the Honda Formula Dream Project. He won back-to-back championships in F4 before leaving Japan for F3 and F2 with the Red Bull Junior Team. In 2020, he scored three wins and seven podiums to finish second in the F2 Championship, securing his move up to F1. In 2021, he made his debut with Scuderia AlphaTauri, finishing in a career-best fourth place at that season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Tsunoda arrived at Red Bull Racing on an impressive run of form having qualified fifth for the Australian Grand Prix and taken sixth place in the Sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix.
However, the rest of the 2025 season proved to be challenging and, having been replaced by Isack Hadjar, the Japanese driver moves into the role of Red Bull Test and Reserve Driver for 2026.
Head-to-head
Yuki Tsunoda
Max Verstappen
Qualifying:
1
20
Race:
1
20
Poles:
0
7
Podiums:
0
14
Wins:
0
7
02
Liam Lawson
- Team: Red Bull Racing
- Grands Prix: 2 (both teamed with Verstappen)
- Best Grid Position: 19
- Highest Finish: 12
- Points scored: 0
Liam Lawson is a cool customer
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Lawson and Verstappen during a relaxed moment
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Verstappen and Lawson model 2025's race suits
© Will Cornelius/Red Bull Content Pool
New Zealander Liam Lawson was brought in to partner Verstappen from the start of the 2025 season following some promising drives for the Racing Bulls at the end of the previous year, but struggled to get to grips with the new RB21 in the opening two rounds and was moved back to the sister team, with Tsunoda taking his seat. Former team Principal Christian Horner explained the decision. “It’s been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 at the first two races and, as a result, we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch … This is a purely sporting decision.”
Despite that difficult start, Lawson’s credentials are impressive. Having made his debut deputising for Daniel Ricciardo before replacing the Australian toward the end of the 2024 season. He also proved his raw pace in a one-off test for Red Bull Racing at Silverstone that year, convincing the team to promote him to replace Sergio Pérez. But with only 11 race starts under his belt, Lawson was the least experienced driver to land a seat with the Milton Keynes squad since Robert Doornbos in 2006.
Head-to-head
Liam Lawson
Max Verstappen
Qualifying:
0
2
Race:
0
2
03
Carlos Sainz
- Team: Scuderia Toro Rosso
- Grands Prix: 56 (23 teamed with Max)
- Best Grid Position: 5 (x1)
- Highest Finish: 4 (x1)
- Points scored: 112
F1 rookies: Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen
© Marco Campelli/Red Bull Content Pool
Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen make their F1 debuts in Australia
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Team-mates Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
The rivalry between Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen was always fierce. When they made their F1 debuts for Scuderia Toro Rosso at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, it was sharpened by the fact that both men knew they were competing for a seat with Red Bull Racing. Meanwhile, the occupant of that seat, Daniil Kvyat, knew he had to deliver to retain his place in the garage opposite Ricciardo. All four had arrived in F1 via the Red Bull Junior Team and knew each other well. In 2015, the two brought a record haul of points back to Faenza, with 49 coming from Verstappen – with two eye-catching fourth places – and 18 from Sainz. After a difficult home race for Kvyat at the 2016 Russian Grand Prix, Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull Racing for the Spanish Grand Prix, where he took his first F1 victory. Ricciardo had a new team-mate…
Head-to-head
Carlos Sainz
Max Verstappen
Qualifying:
11
12
Race:
9
12
04
Daniel Ricciardo
- Team: Scuderia Toro Rosso
- Grands Prix: 39
- Best Grid Position: 5 (x1)
- Highest Finish: 7 (x2)
- Points scored: 30
- Team: Red Bull Racing
- Grands Prix: 100 (58 teamed with Max)
- Best Grid Position: 1 (x3)
- Highest Finish: 1 (x7)
- Points scored: 956
Team/Mates: Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen take to the streets of Tokyo
© Maruo Kono/Red Bull Content Pool
Winning team: Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
The popular and outgoing Daniel Ricciardo was more like a big brother to Max Verstappen than a rival, helping the teenager to adjust to life in the public eye. As team-mates from 2016-2018, both men pushed each other to deliver on track. Ricciardo is the only team-mate to beat Verstappen, and he did it twice in their first two campaigns together, with the Australian finishing third overall in the championship in 2016. But in 2018, the Dutchman found another level and pulled comfortably ahead, claiming 11 podiums to Ricciardo’s two. With visions of a future as a number two driver, the Australian opted to move on and replaced Sainz at Renault and later at McLaren before returning to Faenza.
Head-to-head
Daniel Ricciardo
Max Verstappen
Qualifying:
25
33
Race:
24
32
Poles:
3
0
Podiums:
19
22
Wins:
4
5
05
Pierre Gasly
- Team: Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri
- Grands Prix: 96
- Best Grid Position: 2 (x1)
- Highest Finish: 1 (x1)
- Points scored: 268
- Team: Red Bull Racing
- Grands Prix: 12
- Best Grid Position: 4 (x1)
- Highest Finish: 4 (x1)
- Points scored: 64
After returning to Toro Roso Pierre Gasly joined Max on the podium
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen at Zandvoort
© Marcel van Hoorn/Red Bull Content Pool
Carlos Sainz congratulates Pierre Gasly on victory at Monza
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Pierre Gasly impressed with the Red Bull Junior Team – he is its most successful driver in the feeder series – and, on moving up to F1, proved his pace at Toro Rosso. But Gasly needed to hit the ground running and score solid points when he stepped up to Red Bull Racing in 2019. The Frenchman struggled to get to grips with the RB15. A big personality and a skilled racer, Ricciardo’s racing boots were a lot to fill, and with Mercedes running away with both championships, Red Bull Racing needed a points-scoring front-runner to partner Verstappen – and couldn’t wait for Gasly to gel. After 12 Grands Prix, Gasly was back in Faenza. That could have proven derailed most drivers’ careers but the likeable Frenchman dug deep and rediscovered his mojo, finishing second behind his former team-mate Verstappen at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. In 2021, he scored the Italian outfit’s second Grand Prix win on home soil in Monza – or the first and only for the rebranded AlphaTauri Racing. Having proven himself again, he moved to Alpine.
Head-to-head
Pierre Gasly
Max Verstappen
Qualifying:
1
11
Race:
1
11
Poles:
0
1
Podiums:
0
5
Wins:
0
2
06
Alex Albon
- Team: Scuderia Toro Rosso
- Grands Prix: 12
- Best Grid Position: 9 (x1)
- Highest Finish: 6 (x1)
- Points scored: 16
- Team: Red Bull Racing
- Grands Prix: 26
- Best Grid Position: 4 (x4)
- Highest Finish: 3 (x2)
- Points scored: 197
Alex Albon ready to race for Red Bull
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Alex Albon and Max Verstappen pause for a selfie
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Alex Albon and Max Verstappen in Mexico
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Alex Albon and Max Verstappen knew each other from their days in karting. In 2010, Albon beat Verstappen to the KF3 World Cup (a young Pierre Gasly was fourth), although Verstappen beat him in the WSK Euro Series and won the WSK World Series. He graduated from the Red Bull Junior Team to F1 in 2019 – the first Thai driver since Prince Bira in 1954 – and after just 12 starts with Toro Rosso, replaced Gasly at Red Bull Racing halfway through the season. Hardworking and humble, he consistently delivered points. If there was a problem, it was that the podium eluded Albon for all but two of his 26 races for Red Bull Racing while Verstappen continued to improve, widening the gulf between them. The team began to look for a driver who could help bring 1-2 finishes, win races and act as a rear-gunner for Verstappen in the title race. For the 2021 season, Albon was switched to Reserve and Test driver in favour of Pérez. Albon took it in his stride by performing crucial work in the sim to prepare the cars and strategies that helped Verstappen claim his first world crown. Albon also mentored Yuki Tsunoda and raced alongside Lawson in DTM before moving to fresh pastures with Williams.
Head-to-head
Alex Albon
Max Verstappen
Qualifying:
1
25
Race:
9
17
Poles:
0
2
Podiums:
2
15
Wins:
0
3
07
Sergio Pérez
- Team: Red Bull Racing
- Grands Prix: 90
- Best Grid Position: 1 (x3)
- Highest Finish: 1 (x5)
- Points scored: 932
Sergio Perez celebrates his second win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Winning team: Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen in 2023
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Max and Sergio play to the crowd
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Having promoted two young drivers to partner Max Verstappen for 2021, Red Bull Racing decided on a new strategy and brought in the finished article. In Sergio Pérez, they had a driver who had been racing for 10 seasons. He had a record of 11 podiums, including one race win, and as a team leader, had helped guide Force India into a new era as first Racing Point and now Aston Martin. In his four championship campaigns with Red Bull Racing, he finished fourth, third and second in the title race. In 2023, he played his part in delivering the most dominant team campaign in F1 history. But in 2024, he simply couldn’t get to grips with the RB20 car and struggled to eighth overall. Worse, the team lost the Constructors’ Championship, sealing the Mexican’s fate. Having raced more Grands Prix with Verstappen than any other and to greater success, it was time to make way for a younger driver.
Head-to-head
Sergio Pérez
Max Verstappen
Qualifying:
11
79
Race:
11
79
Poles:
3
47
Podiums:
18
53
Wins:
5
53
For the record: Max Verstappen (up to end of 2025 Qatar GP)
- Grands Prix: 232
- Best Grid Position: 1 (x47)
- Highest Finish: 1 (x70)
- Team: Scuderia Toro Rosso
- Grands Prix: 23
- Best Grid Position: 5 (x1)
- Highest Finish: 4 (x2)
- Team: Red Bull Racing
- Grands Prix: 208
- Best Grid Position: 1 (x47)
- Highest Finish: 1 (x70)
- Drivers’ World Championships: 4
- Constructors’ World Championships: 2
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