P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Isack Hadjar will become the seventh different driver to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
Former Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski has questioned Red Bull’s “big risk” in promoting Isack Hadjar to partner Max Verstappen. Hadjar replaced Yuki Tsunoda, who is now Red Bull’s reserve driver for the 2026 F1 season. Despite crashing in his maiden F1 race, Hadjar proved himself as a consistent Q3 contender and regular points finisher, even securing a podium at Zandvoort. He will be Verstappen’s eighth different teammate, with most of them struggling alongside the talented Dutch driver. Budkowski believes Hadjar has talent but may have been promoted too early within the Red Bull system, questioning if he can withstand the challenge of competing with Verstappen.
