Following Perez, Lawson, and Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar brings new hope—his Monaco weekend could mean more than just a podium for Red Bull
The 21-year-old Frenchman secured his second Formula 1 podium in Monaco and the first for his new team. Has Red Bull finally solved its problem with the second driver?
The last podium for Red Bull that wasn’t achieved by Max Verstappen dates back to April 21, 2024, when Sergio Perez finished third in Shanghai.
It was the Mexican’s fourth podium in the first five races of that season and gave the impression that the Milton Keynes-based team had finally found the desired consistency on the second side of the car. But his performances quickly declined and collapsed completely toward the end of the year.
The problem on the second side of the car
Liam Lawson took over the cockpit, but had to vacate it for Yuki Tsunoda after just two races of the following season. The Japanese driver also failed to meet expectations. Yet the requirements were straightforward: score points regularly, avoid mistakes, and support the team.
After numerous driver changes, the second seat alongside Verstappen seemed almost cursed. Hardly any driver could consistently handle the car, which was tailored to the world champion.
In Monaco, Isack Hadjar has now provided the most convincing evidence yet that this impression might be a thing of the past—at least for now.
Why Hadjar has been impressive so far
What’s remarkable about Hadjar’s season is that he’s doing exactly what you’d expect from a talented young driver in his first year with a top team. He makes mistakes, but he also shows the ability to bounce back from them.
One example of this was his crash in the first free practice session in Monaco. For some drivers, this would have been the start of a difficult weekend. Hadjar, however, quickly regained his composure.
“I think I missed more than half a session,” he said after qualifying. “The car was repaired for the second practice, and I had to rebuild my confidence. It was just a terrible day. But I made the most of the third practice this morning, and honestly, qualifying was damage control.”
Self-criticism Instead of Excuses
A fifth-place grid position would have been a decent result even without Friday’s setback. Nevertheless, Hadjar stayed true to his approach and avoided any form of complacency.
That sets him apart from some of his predecessors. Instead of looking for explanations or excuses, he is usually very critical of himself. After bad days, he speaks openly about his own mistakes; after good days, he avoids grand statements.
In the race, Hadjar did benefit from his competitors’ problems, but his podium finish was by no means solely the result of favorable circumstances.
Praise from Team Principal Mekies
“He suffered a major setback in the first practice session when he damaged the car,” explained Laurent Mekies after the race. “The team did a fantastic job getting the car back up and running and allowing him to get some time in the second practice session.”
Mekies was particularly impressed by his driver’s response: “To be honest, he made up for it by refocusing and regaining his confidence. Not immediately in the second practice session, but throughout the third practice session and finally with a very strong qualifying performance.”
Difficulties right up to the finish
The race didn’t go without difficulties either. “We had several issues with the car relatively early in the race,” Mekies reported. “We had significantly less engine power, which affected energy management and other areas. The problems became even greater after his excursion through the chicane’s run-off area. Nevertheless, he managed to salvage third place.”
Hadjar himself revealed afterward that the difficulties had been greater than was apparent from the outside. “I had to deal with more problems during the race than people think.”
Nevertheless, he brought the car safely home in third place and secured his team’s first podium on this side of the car in more than two years.
More than just a podium?
It remains to be seen whether Hadjar has actually found the long-term solution for Red Bull’s second seat. His performance in Monaco, however, showed that he can bounce back from setbacks, overcome technical issues, and deliver under pressure. These are precisely the qualities that have often been missing in this role recently.