Isack Hadjar is set to make his Red Bull debut at the 2026 F1 season opener in Melbourne for the Australian GP.
Ahead of the first race of the 2026 F1 season in Melbourne, Hadjar reflected on his move to Red Bull. The Frenchman also shared his hopes ahead of the upcoming race weekend and the season ahead.
Hadjar on his promotion to Red Bull
The 21-year-old will be entering his sophomore campaign in the sport following an impressive rookie season last year. A podium finish at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix and regular point finishes earned Hadjar his promotion from sister team Racing Bulls. The Frenchman enters the 2026 F1 season with a seat alongside four-time World Champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
Hadjar is excited to fight for points this season with the Milton Keynes outfit, noting his high aspirations for the year ahead. He added that this marked a new chapter in his career, and he is looking forward to seeing the growth in the team.
“Yeah, I’m happy to be fighting normally for better results this year. It’s definitely exciting and also it’s a brand new journey. So I’m honestly just looking forward to our improvement during the year.“
The Frenchman also spoke on his approach to the 2026 F1 season. He shared that he will enter the season with a fresh mindset as he embarks on his journey with a new team under the new regulations.
Hadjar revealed that the goal of the early races of the season will be to understand the RB22. He hopes this will allow them to be even better in the latter half of the season.
“I think for this new season, considering the regulation changes and everything, I think it’s important to finish the first few races, understand a clear direction where to go with the car, and then the goal is to finish. I think if we have a strong second half is what matters the most.“
Hadjar shares his expectations for the 2026 Australian GP
The 2026 F1 Australian GP will provide the first glimpse of how the teams and drivers have adapted to the updated regulations. Many drivers will enter the weekend with high expectations after months of behind-the-scenes testing and development. Hadjar is no exception.
When asked about his expectations for Red Bull this weekend, the Frenchman was quick to express his confidence in the RB22 and the team. Hadjar believes he will finish the Australian GP in the points. He even has his eyes on his maiden podium finish with Red Bull. However, he also added that he is still unaware where the Milton Keynes outfit stands among the grid.
“I can expect points, like normally, but that’s not really what we want. But to be fair, if we finish the race, considering reliability might be tricky for every team, if we manage to finish the race, it’s obviously a very good start.
“But I think we have a good race car. I’m obviously aiming for a podium. Let’s see. I’m not sure where we stand.”
Confidence in his talents and his goals for the 2026 F1 season
The 2025 Australian GP was a race to forget for Hadjar. His debut race weekend ended early after he crashed on the formation lap.
The 21-year-old was asked if he had expected to return to Albert Park the following year, racing for Red Bull. He revealed that he always believed he had the potential to be promoted to the team.
“When I crashed, five seconds after, no. But a couple of hours later, yes. It’s how fast it switches. Of course, I always had this belief. That’s why I’m here.“
Hadjar also made it clear that he has yet to set a goal for the upcoming 2026 F1 season. He reasoned that it would be up to the performance of his RB22 and the progress made by him and his team throughout the season.
“Honestly, I don’t know. It depends on what I have underneath me, the job I do with my team. But I don’t have a target.”
Hadjar agrees Melbourne will be tougher than Bahrain
Thus far, the F1 grid and drivers have only tested their 2026 challengers in Barcelona (except for Williams) and Bahrain during pre-season testing. The sessions revealed the demanding energy regime of their cars to the drivers.
The 2026 Australian GP is expected to be much tougher versus Bahrain due to the little braking time each lap. Albert Park’s high-speed corners result in extreme energy management challenges for the teams and drivers. Despite this, Red Bull is expected to be a strong contender in Melbourne. This is considering the high performance of Red Bull’s 2026 power unit, the DM01.
Hadjar shared his thoughts ahead of the 2026 F1 Australian GP weekend and agreed that Melbourne will be a tougher track compared to Bahrain. He added that due to the layout of Albert Park, it would not be a comfortable drive.
“I don’t know how this will be a better track for us than it was in Bahrain. If anything, it’s just not going to feel nice, really. It’s just like clipping super early in the straight.“
However, the Frenchman also confessed that he does not think Red Bull will be the fastest team on track, but he will be working closely with the team throughout the weekend to extract the most out of the RB22.
“But that’s all that’s going to change, really. I don’t think we have the fastest car. And we’re going to work, that’s it.”
