Hadjar “doesn’t know” if he’d do better than Tsunoda in the Red Bull
The Frenchman was recently asked about the possibility of him joining Red Bull in the near future. While he dreams of this opportunity, he doesn't know if he'll be able to do better than Yuki Tsunoda.
New changes on the horizon at Red Bull? Following the departure of Christian Horner, the Austrian team is beginning a new chapter in its history. This new chapter could be written without Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver, who joined the main team in place of Liam Lawson starting from the Japanese Grand Prix, is struggling to convince the Milton Keynes team, and his seat is increasingly threatened, notably by one man: Isack Hadjar. However, the Frenchman has stated he does not know if he would be capable of delivering better performances than his former teammate.
Asked about this by the media, including Planet F1, the Paris native simply stated: “I don’t know.” The former F2 driver also explained that he doesn’t understand the reasons for Tsunoda’s lack of performance, considering the Japanese driver had been very solid when the two were teammates at the beginning of the season at Racing Bulls. “I don’t know what’s going on there, honestly. All I can say is that Yuki is very fast.”
A second seat at Red Bull that seems cursed
Since Ricciardo’s departure in 2018, the second seat at Red Bull hasn’t been favorable to the drivers who have taken it. Gasly, Albon, Perez, Lawson, and now Tsunoda have all struggled to meet the expectations set by Red Bull and have lagged behind Max Verstappen. While the Dutchman claimed four consecutive titles and 60 victories in total, his various teammates only managed five wins, all secured by Sergio Perez between 2021 and 2023.
Among Verstappen’s various teammates since 2019, it is the Mexican who has achieved the best results. Nevertheless, the former McLaren driver was ousted at the end of 2024 after a series of poor results that had prevented Red Bull from securing the constructors’ title. While Red Bull thought that by choosing a more experienced driver like Yuki Tsunoda, the team would achieve convincing results with both drivers, it has not been the case. Contrary to what he stated at the end of last year, the Japanese driver is struggling to adapt his driving style to the car, described as extremely sharp by Alex Albon.
Hadjar in place of Tsunoda in 2026?
In ten races with the Austrian team, Yuki Tsunoda has only scored seven points and now finds himself behind the two Racing Bulls drivers in the championship. These results increasingly jeopardize his place at Red Bull for 2026. If the Japanese driver leaves, Isack Hadjar is at the top of the list to replace him. With 21 points, the Frenchman impresses the Austrian camp, particularly Helmut Marko.
Despite the pressure surrounding this seat, the 20-year-old driver hopes to have the chance to access it. « When I signed with Red Bull four years ago, the goal was to get to Red Bull. That hasn’t changed. It’s very interesting. I’d like—obviously, out of curiosity—to go see for myself », said the Frenchman. Nevertheless, at the current time, no discussions have taken place regarding a potential replacement. The team’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, also stated that no other driver changes will take place this year. « The plan is for [Tsunoda] to finish the season, nothing has changed. We don’t have an alternative either. There have been discussions with him, as well as with the engineers. We want to stabilize him and stop setting the car exclusively for Max. This could help him », he explained to the newspaper Kleine Zeitung.
After a change of director, Red Bull might change its drivers. Tsunoda’s position is increasingly threatened while Verstappen is being courted by Mercedes. So, what will be the driver duo at Red Bull? The coming weeks are likely to be eventful for the Austrian team.
