Feb.11 (GMM) Felipe Massa believes Isack Hadjar has arrived at Red Bull Racing at the right time – but must treat 2026 as a year of development alongside Max Verstappen.
Speaking to RMC-BFM, the former Ferrari driver said Hadjar’s strong 2025 campaign earned him the promotion, but warned that the pressure inside the Milton Keynes outfit will be intense.
“Last year, he had a fantastic year. Learning and showing a very good performance in many races,” Massa said.
“Today he has an amazing opportunity, driving for the most important team, which definitely is a big pressure – having Max (Verstappen) next to him. But I think he needs to put in his mind a learning growth progress and the development progress to be on the level that he can be at one day.”
Hadjar steps into one of the toughest seats on the grid, with Verstappen having dominated the team’s internal benchmark for years and eaten through several now-departed teammates.
But Massa thinks the sweeping 2026 regulation changes could reset the dynamic.
“I think maybe he moved to Red Bull in the right year because now all the rules are different. Everything is different,” he explained.
“So the way you need to drive the car is different. So maybe it won’t be the same Red Bull that they had in the last years – where the teammate couldn’t drive the car like Max.”
Red Bull’s recent cars were widely regarded as highly tailored to Verstappen’s aggressive front-end style – something several former teammates struggled to adapt to. Massa suggested that with new chassis and power unit regulations, that characteristic may soften.
“I think maybe now is a good opportunity for Hadjar to have a car that is not so complicated like they had in the last years,” he added.
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