Brundle on why Hadjar needs ‘another year’ at Racing Bulls

Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle has sounded a note of caution to Red Bull as the team weighs up its 2026 driver lineups, warning that fast-tracking rookie Isack Hadjar into the main squad could be a costly risk at a time of sweeping Formula 1 regulation changes.

With Max Verstappen’s future teammate yet to be confirmed and two seats open at sister team Racing Bulls, Red Bull faces one of its most consequential driver decisions in years.

Hadjar has impressed in his rookie campaign, earning a breakout podium at Zandvoort and consistently outperforming teammate Liam Lawson before the New Zealander’s abrupt exit. But Brundle believes that while the Frenchman’s talent is clear, Red Bull would be unwise to push him into Verstappen’s orbit too soon.

Experience and Knowledge Required

F1’s upcoming regulation overhaul will reshape the sport’s technical landscape with new hybrid power units and aerodynamic rules coming into force. The shift will test even seasoned veterans, making driver stability more valuable than ever.

“Yuki has had his chances, to be honest,” Brundle told Sky F1. “Obviously Honda is moving away from Red Bull as well, with that Japanese link. You’ve got to look to the future.

“The problem is, for next year, there’s such a dramatic change – the biggest ever in the history of F1 with the power units and the chassis – that you want experience, you want knowledge.”

Hadjar’s raw talent is undeniable, but Brundle sees a year of further seasoning as essential before he’s ready to battle at the front.

“I think Lawson is showing some potential and some upside. Hadjar, I don’t think you want to put him up into the main team. I think he needs another year.”

‘It’s a gamble’

Hadjar’s rapid rise could also unsettle Red Bull’s junior ladder. Racing Bulls must decide who will lead its 2026 campaign – Tsunoda, Lawson, or possibly a mix of experience and youth alongside teenage prodigy Arvid Lindblad.

“Lindblad is looking really good, but does he need a bit more experience? It’s a gamble,” Brundle added.

“They’ll say ‘we refer you to Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel when we put young guys in, and if they’re good enough, they can handle it’.

“I suspect it’s a heavy discussion as to whether they’re going to take a risk on Hadjar in the main team and Lindblad in the Racing Bulls.”

For Brundle, Red Bull’s trademark faith in youth – the same philosophy that produced world champions in Verstappen and Vettel – must be tempered by the unprecedented complexity of the upcoming rules reset.

Hadjar’s star may be rising fast, but Brundle’s message is clear: in 2026, Red Bull will need more than raw speed — it will need wisdom, resilience, and the calm hands of experience to weather Formula 1’s biggest shake-up yet.

Read also: Hadjar on Verstappen team-up: ‘Frightening – but that’s the dream’

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