Max Verstappen hopes Isack Hadjar will eventually succeed him at Red Bull

Verstappen’s succession plan

Max Verstappen told Canal+ he hopes Isack Hadjar eventually takes over his role at Red Bull. The four-time world champion signed a contract that runs until the end of 2030. Verstappen said that having a teammate younger by quite a few years makes him feel "a little bit old". He described the 22-year-old as a teammate who "has been great" and noted that Hadjar has been around the team for some time. Hadjar joined the Red Bull team in 2026 after his rookie season with Racing Bulls. Even before racing in Formula 1, Hadjar attended several races to listen and follow the team. Red Bull confirmed a contract extension for Hadjar ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hadjar will be 26 years old when Verstappen’s contract expires. Verstappen said that a team needs new talent to try and take over at some point. He noted that finding new talent has always been how Red Bull works and expects that to continue for a long time. Verstappen noted the succession question as a normal part of how a team works. He also praised the way Hadjar has integrated into the system.

Standings and Lawson

With six rounds remaining in the 2026 season, the championship standings show Verstappen in fourth with 221 points and Hadjar in eighth with 97 points. Hadjar missed three race weekends due to a wrist injury and experienced power unit issues during recent rounds. Hadjar became the first driver since Sergio Perez to out-qualify Verstappen on merit at the Japanese Grand Prix. Lawson currently sits ninth in the championship and leads Racing Bulls’ points tally. Lawson also holds a substantial advantage over his teammate Arvid Lindblad, who has scored much less. Lawson substituted for Hadjar at Red Bull earlier this year but returned to Racing Bulls. Hinchcliffe said Lawson has performed too strongly to justify replacement by a driver who has never started a Grand Prix. Lawson scored his first F1 points in Singapore and finished ahead of Yuki Tsunoda during his debut at Zandvoort. Lawson’s career includes a debut at Zandvoort in 2023 after Daniel Ricciardo suffered a wrist injury, where he finished ahead of Yuki Tsunoda despite having limited preparation for the race. Lawson’s future remains uncertain as Red Bull evaluates Nikola Tsolov, who currently holds second place in the Formula 2 standings. Tsolov was previously associated with the Alpine academy before joining the Red Bull programme, and if he wins the Formula 2 championship, another season in that category will not be possible. Lawson’s 2024 season also included a stint replacing Ricciardo at the United States Grand Prix.

Technical development

Laurent Mekies said Verstappen provides "massive input" to the development of the RB22 after the team started the 2026 season up to 1.5 seconds off the pace. Verstappen noted the deficit was split between the chassis and the Red Bull-Ford power unit. He flagged handling imbalances and unpredictable platform shifts that hurt his confidence on corner entry, while also raising issues about managing bumps and kerbs around the Hungarian Grand Prix. A technical upgrade introduced at the Baku City Circuit helped Verstappen win in Malaysia and Singapore. The package featured a reworked floor, revised diffuser channeling, reshaped sidepods, and new engine cover surfacing to target the trade-off between low-speed mechanical grip and high-speed stability. Mekies noted that Verstappen has an outstanding capability to pinpoint performance limits. The team principal admitted that they do not always have a fix when the driver identifies a problem. Mekies said the relationship between Verstappen and his engineers can involve emotion, but they remain direct and transparent.