Max Verstappen’s crucial advice to Isack Hadjar as he takes on ‘hardest job’ in F1 2026

Isack Hadjar has to go into his first season as Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate believing “I can beat anyone” – even the four-time World Champion.

In a season of intrigue, the Red Bull storyline is one of the more interesting as pundits and fans debate whether the team, with its new Red Bull-Ford engine, can fight for the title. And for that matter, can Hadjar realistically take the fight to Verstappen?

Max Verstappen’s crucial advice to Isack Hadjar

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

Since losing Daniel Ricciardo in 2018, Red Bull has effectively become a one-driver team with Verstappen flying the flag while his teammates came and went.

Hadjar was promoted to Red Bull after an incredible first year on the grid where he went from crying by the side of the track when he crashed on the formation lap in Melbourne to standing alongside Verstappen on the Dutch Grand Prix podium. His season concluded with the announcement that he would partner Verstappen in F1 2026.

That makes him the Dutch racer’s sixth teammate since Ricciardo, and his fourth in 16 months as Sergio Perez contested his final race in Red Bull colours in December 2024 before Liam Lawson managed just two race weekends at the start of last season. Yuki Tsunoda finished out the season.

F1 2026: The drivers and calendar

F1 2026 driver line-up: Isack Hadjar and other drivers confirmed for 2026

F1 schedule: When is the next F1 race and where is it being held?

But tipped by many to end Red Bull’s revolving door, Verstappen says his new teammate just needs to go into the new campaign with one attitude – “I can beat anyone”.

“I think, as a driver you have to believe that you are always the best, right?” he told the Up to Speed podcast. “I mean, that should be the approach.

“I mean, you have to say to yourself, ‘I can beat anyone’.

“I am all for that, also for everyone.

“When I started in F1 in my first year, I was like, ‘Well, if you give me the car, I will win the championship’. That’s how you think.

“Of course, when you then look back at things, you have to make mistakes, you have to learn from them, and that is better to happen in a car that is not capable of fighting for a title. It hurts a little bit less.

“So actually, I’m very happy with the approach that I had in my first year. You know, being a bit in the middle, fighting for points, but, of course, also having some silly mistakes, and I think that’s good to start.”

Hadjar made several mistakes last year, notably his Australian Grand Prix formation lap crash, his collision with Kimi Antonelli at the British Grand Prix, and his costly mistakes in Baku.

All lessons learned for the 21-year-old, who otherwise enjoyed an impressively tidy campaign.

He did, however, crash on the second day of the behind-closed-door test with Red Bull in January in a moment in the wet.

But for Verstappen it is a case of so far, so good with his teammate. Although they didn’t spend a lot of time together during pre-season testing, the Dutchman revealed they have a good relationship.

“I mean, of course, you’re always together, and we haven’t really done that much yet, right? He’s great, honestly, he’s a very nice guy,” he said.

“And of course, when you’re just heading into your second year, you are in a very different, probably state of mind.

“Probably for me, going into my 12th season, I’m a bit more relaxed about things. You are a bit more, I would say not laid back, but you just like this is testing just go step by step, work with the people.

“So even when he’s in the car, I’m not gonna stand there in the garage watching every single detail. I will just watch from the back, a bit more relaxed. Like I’m doing actually right now. I’m not even at the track.

“So, yeah, it’s a bit different, but honestly, at the end of the day, we just have to try and make the car go as fast as we can ad I’m really confident that we will do that, you know.

“And I’m sure also we get along absolutely fine. And I know him, of course, for a longer period of time, being part of the junior team and then getting into Formula 1. So that’s absolutely fine.”

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: Red Bull boss calls for ‘gloves-off’ F1 2026 engine fight