Max Verstappen has heaped praise on Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, who is making waves in this year’s FIA Formula 2 Championship.
The 19-year-old French-Algerian charger has caught the eye of the reigning world champion with his impressive performances in F1’s feeder category.
Hadjar has won four F2 races and currently leads the series with Campos Racing, with 8 events left on the calendar.
At last month’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the teenager was handed his first FP1 outing with Red Bull Racing after making his F1 debut last year in Mexico with sister outfit AlphaTauri.
While Hadjar has been a regular presence in the Red Bull garage this season, Verstappen has also taken notice of the young charger’s progress out on the tracks.
"Of course I see him here and there walking around with the team, he has driven the car a few times," Verstappen said, quoted by RacingNews365.
"And he's doing a great job. He had a bit of bad luck anyway, in the beginning of this season. I mean, that's all that you need to do, I guess. And then it's of course up to management."
©RedBull
Perhaps more importantly than Verstappen, Hadjar’s efforts have also caught the attention of Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, who has been vocal about Hadjar's potential.
Marko has suggested that Hadjar could follow in the footsteps of Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson and take on a back-up role next season with Visa CashApp RB before potentially graduating to a full-time race seat.
"Isack Hadjar took his fourth win in the highest Formula class after F1 at Spa," Marko said in his Speedweek column.
"He clearly has the potential for Formula 1. We will see how everything develops, but he will definitely play a role.
"It could be that, like Lawson, he will spend a year as a test and simulator driver."
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
