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Martin Brundle has delivered a striking verdict on Isack Hadjar, declaring the French rookie the closest any teammate has come to matching Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. The assessment comes after Hadjar qualified sixth in Barcelona, narrowly behind Verstappen, in a season where Red Bull has slipped to fourth in the competitive order. While drivers including Sergio Pérez, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson struggled alongside the three-time world champion, Hadjar has consistently reached the top ten and shown qualifying pace that suggests a different dynamic may be emerging.
Hadjar's Barcelona performance reveals genuine pace
Hadjar's weekend in Barcelona encapsulated both his promise and the learning curve inherent in a debut season. He locked out sixth on the grid, matching Verstappen's pace closely in qualifying before a poor start dropped him significantly down the order. The 20-year-old fought back through the field to reclaim sixth by the chequered flag, while Verstappen finished fourth. That recovery drive, combined with the qualifying margin, caught Brundle's attention.
Writing in his column for Sky Sports, Brundle noted the competitive nature of the Barcelona grid and highlighted Hadjar's performance in context. "Although Red Bull is now the fourth team, both Verstappen and Hadjar were close to the fastest time," Brundle wrote. "Hadjar once again looked like the driver who has come closest to Max at that team."
Red Bull's start procedure remains a weakness
Brundle also identified a recurring vulnerability in Red Bull's 2025 campaign. Where Ferrari previously held a launch advantage, Mercedes and McLaren have now closed that performance gap entirely. Red Bull, however, continues to suffer poor getaways. Brundle cited Verstappen's compromised start in Monaco and Hadjar's in Barcelona as evidence of a systemic issue rather than isolated driver errors. "Red Bull still has a few dramatic starts mixed in," Brundle observed, suggesting the problem sits with the car or procedural elements rather than execution alone.
Career context and championship standing
Hadjar currently sits ninth in the drivers' championship with 34 points, two places behind Verstappen on 55. He was classified third in Monaco before a post-race protest from Alpine demoted him, costing valuable points in what remains a learning season. His ability to hold his own against Verstappen in machinery that has fallen away from the front carries significance beyond the immediate results. Red Bull has cycled through teammates who were comprehensively outpaced by Verstappen across recent seasons. Hadjar's proximity in qualifying and consistent points finishes suggest a different calibre of adaptation, one that may reshape internal team dynamics if sustained across the remainder of the calendar.
Whether Hadjar can maintain this form as Red Bull works to recover lost performance will define both his immediate future and the team's strategic calculations for 2026. Brundle's public endorsement adds weight to a narrative that was already forming in the paddock
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