Mekies backs Hadjar’s progress as he follows Verstappen’s lead

Isack Hadjar may have left Silverstone wondering what might have been, but Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies believes the French rookie's bigger story is one of steady growth—and one that is becoming more impressive with every race.

A front-wing issue robbed Hadjar of the chance to convert another standout weekend into an even stronger result, yet the 21-year-old still underlined why he is increasingly becoming one of the brightest prospects on the Formula 1 grid.

After carrying momentum from Austria, Hadjar qualified an eye-catching fifth at Silverstone, even lining up two places ahead of reigning world champion Max Verstappen.

His race looked equally promising before an undetected front-wing problem blunted his pace, forcing an extra repair stop that ultimately derailed his afternoon.

Despite the setback, Mekies saw far more positives than negatives.

Mekies: Hadjar keeps taking ‘a step forward’

Reflecting on Hadjar's performance, the Red Bull boss praised both the rookie's resilience and the progress he has made throughout his debut campaign.

“We have read a loss of performance on Isack’s car in the race,” Mekies said on Sunday evening.

“It’s too early to say why [the wing was damaged], but it was frustrating. On the positive side, I think Isack produced a strong weekend.

“Honestly, he has been strong since the beginning of the season, in a way that in the bad weekends, where the car was good, and when the car was not good, he was able to do his own path and to progress race after race, in terms of experience, in terms of skills.

“He's learning a lot from Max, he's learning a bit more every time he drives the car. And today was no different. He's not going to be satisfied with a P5 or with a P4 – we are not going to be either.

“But certainly the big picture for us is that it's a step forward every time he goes out with the car, and that's positive for the rest of the season.”

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Hadjar's race pace suggested he could have been in the hunt for an even bigger result had the wing damage not compromised his opening stint.

Once the damaged component was replaced, his lap times immediately improved, but by then valuable track position had already been lost.

The Frenchman had also enjoyed an early wheel-to-wheel battle with Verstappen before the issue began affecting his performance, offering another glimpse of the confidence he is building alongside the four-time world champion.

Learning from Verstappen

While Verstappen has repeatedly voiced concerns over the RB22's balance this season, Hadjar has been noticeably less outspoken. According to Mekies, however, that difference comes down to experience rather than disagreement.

“Max is unhappy with the car balance, that's a fact,” he said. “He feels that the underlying performance of the car could bring into much better results if we manage to solve the balance limitations we are having.

“I think Isack reads the same balance limitation, a similar balance limitation, so we are not in a situation where one driver says 'A', and the other drivers says 'B'. They are describing the same thing – they are describing it in a different way.

“I think Max is projecting what he feels the potential of the car will be, whilst Isack, being a bit newer to the game, probably doesn't elaborate into that so much.”

That distinction is hardly surprising. Verstappen's years of fighting at the sharp end of Formula 1 have given him a deep understanding of where performance is being left on the table, while Hadjar is still building that experience race by race.

If Mekies' assessment is any indication, Red Bull is encouraged not only by the rookie's raw speed but also by the way he is absorbing lessons from his illustrious teammate.

And although Silverstone ended with frustration rather than celebration, the team's confidence that Hadjar is heading in the right direction appears stronger than ever.

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