Red Bull urged to make ‘philosophical decision’ after latest driver change

As Max Verstappen prepares to welcome a third new teammate since Sergio Perez’s departure, Karun Chandhok says Red Bull’s driver merry-go-round boils down to a “philosophical decision” that the team has to make.

Does it only want the prestige of the Drivers’ title with Max Verstappen, or does it also want the teams’ trophy? If the answer is both, then Red Bull needs to design an RB car that works for both drivers.

The big Red Bull question: ‘How much do they want to have the second car in the fight?’

Red Bull has struggled with its second seat since losing Daniel Ricciardo after the 2018 season, the team replacing the Honey Badger with Pierre Gasly, who lasted 12 races, Alex Albon, who was in the car for a season and a half, and then Sergio Perez.

He spent four seasons with Red Bull but what began with Perez being called a “legend” by Verstappen for his assistance in the championship-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021 ended with Perez and Red Bull parting ways after the 2024 season, despite the driver having signed a new contract earlier in the year.

Liam Lawson was promoted in his stead, but lasted only two grand prix weekends before he was demoted to Racing Bulls, and swapped places with Yuki Tsunoda.

But while the Japanese driver saw out this past season with Red Bull, his 30 points in 22 grands prix meant he too was dropped from the race seat, with Isack Hadjar announced as Verstappen’s F1 2026 teammate.

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Whether Hadjar will be a success at Red Bull will, says Chandhok, largely depend on the team’s philosophy.

“I think ultimately it comes back to a philosophical decision at Red Bull,” the former F1 driver explained on the Sky Sports F1 Show.

“Are they chasing the Constructors’ Championship? In which case, they’ve got to find a way to develop a car that two drivers can drive and score points. Because Max came within two points of the Drivers’ but they were miles behind in the Constructors’.

“So are they thinking of the prestige that goes with the Drivers’ World Championship? And we’re going to put all our eggs with Max and chase that, and then you don’t have the problem that McLaren have got, which is the intra-team battle and trying to manage it.

“So for me it’s a philosophical decision that Red Bull management has got to make.

“How much do they want to have the second car in the fight?

“I think this year we saw an extreme of it, actually.

“Another what if in terms of Max not winning this year, was what if the second Red Bull was better, because if there were those two or three wins that Max had, if Yuki was second, that would have been enough to knock Lando [Norris] or Oscar [Piastri] further down. That could have been a championship.

“So they do need to do something.

“I think even to just get the Drivers’ they do need to do something to get the second driver more comfortable in the car. At least there’s no way they need him to be beating Max, but certainly good enough to be getting podiums on a regular basis as Checo was in 2021.”

Hadjar arrives at Red Bull at an opportune time given Formula 1 is resetting the regulations. It means the 2026 Red Bull-Ford-powered RB22 will be a completely new car for both Verstappen and Hadjar.

“It’s not like Max knows the car; we all start from scratch,” Hadjar told select media including PlanetF1.com in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s the best timing by far. I feel very, very lucky in the way I’m coming to Red Bull, so it’s going to be very beneficial. If the car does go in one direction, then I’ll be here as well.”

He, however, concedes there is still a chance he won’t be able to match Verstappen’s pace – at least not at first.

“If anything, the goal is to accept that I’m going to be slower the first month,” he said. “I think that, if you go into that mindset, you accept already that it’s going to be very tough… looking at the data and seeing things you can’t achieve yet.

“It’s going to be very frustrating. But if you know, then you’re more prepared.”

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