Why Perez believes F1 2026 is ‘great’ for Hadjar as Verstappen’s new teammate

Isack Hadjar is stepping into what Christian Horner once called the toughest job in Formula 1, but Sergio Perez believes the timing could not be better.

Heading to Melbourne next week for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Verstappen will have his fourth different driver in 16 months alongside him in the Red Bull car.

Sergio Perez says Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull timing is ideal

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While Perez sat in the seat in 2024’s finale in Abu Dhabi, at the time expecting to continue with the team, he was dropped a week later aas Red Bull wielded the axe after he scored just over a third of Verstappen’s points.

Verstappen won the title, his fourth on the trot, while Perez fell to eighth in the standings.

Liam Lawson was promoted in his stead, only to find himself ousted from the Red Bull seat after two race weekends. He was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, but Tsunoda scored just 30 points in 22 races and was also reshuffled to a reserve role.

In steps Isack Hadjar for the F1 2026 season.

The 21-year-old had a headline-creating first season in Formula 1 with Racing Bulls. He began his debut campaign in tears at the side of the track when he crashed on the formation lap in Australia, secured a podium at the Dutch Grand Prix, and outscored both Lawson and Tsunoda in the standings.

Red Bull announced in the build-up to the season-ending Abu Dhabi race that Hadjar would step up from Racing Bulls to Red Bull to partner four-time champion Verstappen,

It is, according to former Red Bull team principal Horner, “probably the toughest job in Formula 1… because the level that he’s operating at, I don’t think there’s a driver in Formula 1 that would be able to take him on in this car”.

But Perez, who held the role 16 months ago, reckons Hadjar couldn’t have stepped into the Red Bull seat at a better time.

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“It’s great to come into Red Bull with such a change in the regulations,” Perez told PlanetF1.com and other media in Bahrain.

“I think Isack is a very talented driver, he’s shown that.

“I’m sure as long as he stays cool throughout the year, he will have a very successful career in Formula 1. And also being teammates with Max at Red Bull, it’s a great team.

“So I think is a it’s a great place for him to be at this point of his career. I think it’s a massive opportunity.”

That’s because this season Formula 1 is racing all-new cars, even the engine formula has changed, and it requires a different style to yesteryear’s cars with energy management at the fore.

Alex Albon, who was Verstappen’s teammate in mid-2019 and through ’20, agrees with Perez.

“I think Isack is a quick driver,” he said. “And I think actually a lot of this regulation change will be good. It’s a fresh start for everyone.

“Based on what I’ve seen so far, he seems to be quite comfortable with the car and not just in terms of having a quick teammate, but the car itself.

“So I think he’s gonna do okay.”

As for Hadjar, the 21-year-old is hoping that his previous knowledge of working with Red Bull, having done so in FP1 sessions while also working with team boss Laurent Mekies at Racing Bulls in early 2025 before the Frenchman’s Red Bull promotion, will smooth the transition.

“I doesn’t really feel like jumping in a new team, to be honest,” he said. “I’ve been doing FP1s for this team already, back in ’23, ’24. I’ve been signed in ’21 so at the end of the day, I’m working with engineers that I’ve known for a while now. I’ve been on sim support sessions with them for the team.

“So, yeah, it made the transition a lot easier. And also having Laurent as a leader is great. I made my debut in Formula 1 with him, stepping into my second season with him is good. So, so it’s been, it’s been very smooth, very lucky.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Mat Coch

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