Isack Hadjar defined his arrival at Red Bull Racing as a ‘culture shock’, despite considering the change natural. The Frenchman explained that the experience gained in the team’s young driver program facilitated his adaptation.
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After debuting in Formula 1 for Racing Bulls in 2025, Hadjar was promoted to the main team in 2026, forming a duo with Max Verstappen. Although the two teams belong to the same group, the 21-year-old driver highlighted significant differences in the working environments.
“This is definitely a culture shock. You go from a more familiar team, an Italian team, to a British one. It’s definitely different,” Hadjar said on the Talking Bull podcast. He also acknowledged the importance of Racing Bulls in his development: “VCARB helped me a lot in my first year. They are used to having young drivers to prepare for the main seat.”
The transition, however, was less abrupt because Hadjar had already been part of the Red Bull structure since 2021. The driver participated in young driver tests and TL1 sessions, as well as having driven Verstappen’s car at the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP, while his professional relationship with engineer Richard Wood began three years earlier.
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“This transition to Red Bull Racing was not like Lewis (Hamilton) from Mercedes to Ferrari. I have been in the junior team since 2021. I participated in TL1 sessions and young driver tests. So, I am working with Woody this year, but I already had my first TL1 session with him three years ago. For me, it’s natural to be here,” he added.
Even integrated into the main team environment, Hadjar admits he still experiences special moments when entering the garage and taking the car alongside a four-time world champion: “There are still some ‘pinch me’ moments, because it’s not like I have two hundred races for the team. Every time I enter the garage, going to the car, I still feel that pride of being there and being part of a world champion team alongside such an incredible teammate. I deserve to be here, but I also feel blessed to be here,” Hadjar concluded.
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