Unlike team-mate Max Verstappen, Isack Hadjar definitely sees advantages in the new regulations – racing has become “better” this year, he emphasizes
Not all drivers in the Formula 1 driver field have already made friends with this year’s new regulations. Max Verstappen, among others, is one of the harshest critics of the 2026 rules. Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar, on the other hand, is much more relaxed about the situation.
“I think this is the first time in a long time that two cars can overtake each other at the same speed,” he says, highlighting what he sees as a positive aspect of the new regulations. After all, there were significantly fewer overtaking maneuvers last season.
“If you look at last year, you always needed an advantage of around six, seven or eight tenths to overtake the car in front of you. Sometimes even more,“ recalls the Frenchman.
In addition, after a successful maneuver, you often knew ”that the car behind you would never overtake you again,” says Hadjar. In the first races of the 2026 season, on the other hand, there were duels in which the positions changed several times.
“If anything, it makes racing better, that’s for sure,” says Hadjar. Critics, on the other hand, complain that although there are certainly significantly more overtaking manoeuvres this year, these are merely artificially induced by the new regulations.
“It does seem a bit artificial at times,” admits Hadjar in this context, but emphasizes that the situation is “definitely better than before”. It is now just a matter of “finding the right balance” in the overtaking maneuvers.
Hadjar would therefore not change too much about the new regulations. “Just more efficient batteries, that’s all,” he replies when asked what could be done better. Apart from that, he already seems to be quite happy with the “new” Formula 1.
