Isack Hadjar’s performance as Red Bull Racing’s second driver in the 2026 Formula 1® season has drawn attention for how closely he has matched the pace of team leader Max Verstappen. Analyzing qualifying times and points scored after 11 rounds, Hadjar appears to be the most competitive teammate Verstappen has had in recent years, raising questions about whether the so-called “Red Bull second seat curse” might finally be easing.
Data from the ongoing season shows Hadjar’s average qualifying deficit to Verstappen is just over 0.1 seconds. This gap is notably smaller than those recorded by recent teammates such as Yuki Tsunoda in 2025, who trailed by 0.6 seconds on average, Alex Albon in 2020 with a 0.5-second gap, Sergio Perez in 2023 also over 0.5 seconds behind, and Pierre Gasly in 2019 at around 0.5 seconds. The only teammate to come closer in qualifying was Daniel Ricciardo in 2017, who was about 0.05 seconds off Verstappen’s pace.
In terms of championship points after the first 11 rounds of 2026, Hadjar trails Verstappen by 41 points. This margin is significantly narrower compared to the 388-point gap Tsunoda faced in 2025 or the 290-point difference Perez had in 2023. Ricciardo remains the only Red Bull teammate to have outscored Verstappen in a season, achieving 200 points to Verstappen’s 168 back in 2017.
This statistical comparison places Hadjar as a promising contender among Verstappen’s teammates, showing a level of performance that narrows the historical gap often seen between Red Bull’s lead driver and his second seat occupant. While the data highlights Hadjar’s competitiveness in qualifying and points accumulation, it stops short of declaring that the “second seat curse” has been definitively broken.
Red Bull Racing’s history with Verstappen’s teammates has often involved significant disparities in pace and results, making Hadjar’s current season an interesting case. His ability to stay within a tenth of a second in qualifying and maintain a relatively close points tally suggests a more balanced driver pairing than in recent years.
Although Daniel Ricciardo’s 2017 season remains the benchmark for a teammate challenging Verstappen effectively, Hadjar’s 2026 campaign is shaping up as the closest since then. This could indicate a shift in how Red Bull manages its driver lineup or reflect Hadjar’s adaptation to the team and car.
Overall, the numbers underline Hadjar’s strong start to his role at Red Bull Racing. While it is too early to make definitive claims about ending the team’s historical second driver challenges, his performance so far provides a solid foundation for a more competitive partnership alongside Verstappen.