Isack Hadjar admits uncertainty surrounds F1 2026 plans
Isack Hadjar and Red Bull hugs after his maiden F1 podium
Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar has admitted that he’s at peace with the fact that his future remains uncertain heading into the F1 2026 season.
The Frenchman snagged an impressive podium at the Dutch Grand Prix to further solidify consensus that he’s been, to date, the season’s most impressive rookie.
Isack Hadjar future remains in doubt
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
The F1 2026 season will bring with it ample uncertainty. A new regulatory era is set to transform the sport; F1 cars will be lighter, powered by a 50/50 ratio of electric to combustion power. it is also scrapping DRS and implementing active aerodynamics.
For Red Bull, there’s even greater uncertainty as it switches from Honda power to its own Red Bull Powertrains developed units, in conjunction with Ford, with both the senior squad at Racing Bulls set to race the all-new engines.
Red Bull is also yet to confirm who will partner Max Verstappen, with Yuki Tsunoda thought unlikely to remain, while neither of the current Racing Bulls pair, Hadjar and Liam Lawson, are locked in for F1 2026.
More Dutch GP analysis from PlanetF1.com:
👉 Dutch GP driver ratings: Hamilton clanger, Hadjar’s heroics, Piastri domination
As tings stand, Hadjar has admitted that he has very little clarity on how his future is poised to unfold.
“I don’t know myself, so I can’t help you,” he said. “Sorry.”
“To be honest, it’s nothing really new to me,” the rookie continued, talking about the pressure the uncertainty creates.
“The road to F1 was more than uncertain as well. I’m used to not really knowing what I’m going to do next.
“So I’m used to living [in] the present and giving my maximum. I’m not worried, and I’m just focused.”
As it would transpire, that mindset would come to serve him well at Zandvoort. After securing a career-best fourth-place on the grid in qualifying, Hadjar held fast to that position throughout the race. Then, when the McLaren of Lando Norris retired, the Frenchman found himself inheriting his maiden podium.
“It feels a bit unreal,” Hadjar said of the result.
“What was most surprising for me was keeping that fourth place for the whole race.
“Unfortunately for Lando, we took advantage of his [retirement], but we made no mistakes.
“The car was on rails the whole weekend, and I’m really happy about myself because I really maximised what I had, made no mistakes and brought home the podium, so I’m so happy for my guys.”
The move pushed Hadjar into the Top 10 in the drivers’ championship standings, tied with Nico Hulkeberg at 37 points.
Since being promoted to an F1 drive this season, Hadjar has looked at home at Racing Bulls – his Australian GP faux pas aside.
A promotion to a top-tier team is every driver’s dream, but the seat alongside Max Verstappen has been an awkward one to fill. The four-time champion is the clear No. 1 driver at the team, with his input guiding the direction of car design and development — often to the detriment of drivers alongside him like Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, and Sergio Perez.
The RB21 of 2025 has been extremely challenging and unpredictable, and we’ve already seen Hadjar’s current teammate Liam Lawson struggle at the top-tier team for the first two races of the season.
Amid the uncertainty created by the forthcoming rule change, the introduction of the RBPT-Ford power unit, and the sizeable change in personnel at Milton Keynes, there is significant question mark hanging over the team.
Hadjar’s looks certain to remain in F1 for 2026, with which team – and which team would be best for him – remains unclear.
Read next: Winners and losers from the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix
