
Isack Hadjar begins the next stage of his journey in the Red Bull empire on Tuesday, when his first official engagement as a newly promoted Red Bull Racing driver will be to test Pirelli's definitive 2026 tyres for the first time.
As Max Verstappen's team-mate, Hadjar will occupy one of the most pressured positions in Formula 1 – and not just because Verstappen sets a high bar in terms of sheer speed and voracious, 24/7 competitiveness. Red Bull driver advisor Helmut Marko has long run Red Bull's driver-development programme along ruthlessly up-or-out lines, and each new level brings increased scrutiny from a man not famed for being in touch with his emotions.