Verstappen backs Hadjar to eventually inherit his Red Bull seat

Max Verstappen has named Isack Hadjar as the man he hopes will one day take over his role at Red Bull, offering a candid acknowledgement that the four-time world champion’s time at the top of the sport will eventually come to an end.

Hadjar, 22, graduated to the senior Red Bull team for the 2026 season after a promising debut campaign with sister outfit Racing Bulls. His arrival ended a prolonged search by Red Bull for a team-mate capable of extracting competitive performance from the same machinery as Verstappen — a challenge that has defeated several experienced drivers in recent years.

With six rounds remaining in the 2026 season, Verstappen sits fourth in the drivers’ championship on 221 points. Hadjar is eighth with 97 points, a tally affected by three missed race weekends due to a wrist injury.

Speaking to Canal+, Verstappen reflected warmly on his younger colleague. “Isack, he’s still a very young guy. He’s been a part of the Red Bull programme for a while now,” he said. “Even when he was still not racing in Formula 1, he’s been around to some of the races, listening in and following.”

Verstappen also acknowledged the natural shift in team dynamics that comes with a younger team-mate. “I slowly start to feel a little bit old having a younger team-mate by quite a few years. But that’s a normal process, and that’s also what, as a team, you should be looking for.”

“I’m not going to race forever, and at one point you need new talent coming into the team to try and take over,” he continued. “That’s always been a little bit the way that Red Bull works, finding new talent, and I think that will continue for a long time. As a team-mate, he has been great. He’s just getting started, but it has been really nice.”

Asked directly whether Hadjar could assume his position within the team in the future, Verstappen was unambiguous. “That’s what I hope. As I said, I’m not racing here forever. He has a few years on me, so hopefully he can stay around for a bit longer.”