Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has backed Isack Hadjar to eventually succeed him at Red Bull.
Hadjar joined Red Bull alongside Verstappen at the start of 2026 after impressing in his rookie season with sister outfit Racing Bulls. While the Milton Keynes outfit has struggled for some time to find a team-mate for the Dutchman who could extract the same level of performance from the car, Hadjar has impressed so far.
With six rounds remaining in the 2026 season, Verstappen sits fourth in the drivers' championship with 221 points, while Hadjar is eighth with 97 points, having missed three race weekends due to a wrist injury.
While speaking to Canal+, Verstappen discussed his 22-year-old team-mate.
"Isack, he’s still a very young guy. He’s been a part of the Red Bull programme for a while now," Verstappen said. "Even when he was still not racing in Formula 1, he’s been around to some of the races, listening in and following.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
"So, 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, right?
"I’m not going to race forever, and at one point you need new talent coming into the team to try and take over at one point. 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."
When asked if Hadjar could take his role within the team in the future, Verstappen added: "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."
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