Sergio Perez and Alex Albon believe Isack Hadjar ready for Red Bull role

Albon replaced Pierre Gasly at Red Bull Racing midseason in 2019 and raced alongside Verstappen for the full 2020 season before being fired and replaced by Perez, who remained with the team till the end of 2024 when he was let go after struggling to perform in an increasingly difficult-to-drive Red Bull Racing car.

With Red Bull going through two drivers in 2025, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, Hadjar now enters the lion's den.

Despite impressing in his rookie season, scoring points, and even getting a podium in a Racing Bulls car, the Frenchman now faces a daunting task as Verstappen's teammate.

The new-for-2026 regulations offer Hadjar a better chance, something Verstappen pointed out, a point both Perez and Albon highlighted.

Speaking to the media over the course of the preseason testing in Bahrain, Perez, now driving for Cadillac, was asked about Hadjar's prospects.

He said: “I think he's ready to come into Red Bull with such a change in the regulations. I think Isack is a very talented driver; he's shown that, and I'm sure as long as he stays cool throughout the year, he will have a very successful career in Formula 1.

“Being teammates with Max at Red Bull, it's a great team, so I think it's a great place for him to be in at this point of his career. I think it's a massive opportunity," he added.

Albon was asked the same question; he added: “I think Isack is a quick driver, and I think actually a lot of this regulation change will be good; it's a fresh start for everyone.

“Based on what I've seen so far, he seems to be quite comfortable with the car. I think it's a lot of learning to do, not just in terms of having a quick teammate, but the car itself.

"So I think he's gonna do okay," the Williams driver concluded. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier)