Hadjar’s ‘roll of the dice’ boldest prediction for 2026

Isack Hadjar didn’t hesitate. Put on the spot, under the lights, and asked for his boldest possible prediction for F1’s great 2026 reset, Red Bull’s newest recruit went straight for the moon – and smiled while doing it.

The French-Algerian driver, set to step into one of the most scrutinised seats on the grid just as F1 rewrites its rulebook, knows exactly how wild the question was.

New team, new cars, new regulations. And yet, Hadjar was willing to say out loud what every young driver secretly dreams of – not out of arrogance, but ambition.

A Dream, Not a Declaration

Speaking on the red carpet at the 2026 Autosport Awards in London on Wednesday evening, Hadjar framed his answer with realism before daring to imagine the impossible.

“It’s like rolling a dice with the new regulation,” the Frenchman admitted. “Bold… fighting for the world title I guess. That’s bold enough.”

It was a line that raised eyebrows – but context matters. Hadjar wasn’t pounding his chest or predicting domination. Instead, he was acknowledging the chaos that comes with a regulation overhaul, where pecking orders can flip overnight and opportunity can appear where least expected.

After all, this is a driver coming off a solid rookie campaign with Racing Bulls, where he finished 12th in the championship with 51 points and announced himself with a breakthrough podium at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Talented, yes. Proven champion? Not yet. But in a season where everyone starts again, dreaming big doesn’t equal being cocky.

The Full Backing of Red Bull

Red Bull, for their part, are under no illusions about the challenge ahead. Team principal Laurent Mekies has been open about the team’s recent struggles to consistently maximise its second car – and equally clear that Hadjar will not be left to sink or swim.

"At first, we are not hiding behind the fact that we need to do a better job with that second car, and that includes the second part of last year," Mekies said, speaking at the Autosport Business Exchange London.

"Yes, we've made some progress with Yuki, but not at the level that we felt we should have reached. So we are aware that we need to do a better job there."

For Hadjar, however, the timing of his promotion may actually be a blessing. The 2026 regulations wipe away habits, references and comfort zones and Mekies believes that reset could play directly into the rookie’s hands.

"[Isack] would not like what I'm going to say, but I guess in some respects, the fact that everything's changed in 2026, he's also [been] given a reset about how you go about extracting as much as you can from the car.

"He has been taking it from day one with maximum intensity. He has moved to London.

• Read also: Hadjar in awe of one unexpected Verstappen trait

"He's fully aware of the challenge. He has his feet on the ground. He's a very humble guy, and we are going to support him 360 to make sure that he can express his talent in that car."

So no, Hadjar isn’t predicting a coronation — he’s picturing a perfect storm. A roll of the dice. A dream scenario. And in a season where nothing is guaranteed and everything is new, daring to imagine a title fight might just be the most honest answer of all.

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