In the latest episode of Formula 1 Paddock Talk, the collaboration between Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar at Red Bull Racing is examined. Although the young Frenchman regularly impresses with his speed over one lap, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Allard Kalff still see a clear difference between his performances on Saturday and Sunday. At the same time, they especially praise the way Hadjar conducts himself alongside the four-time world champion.
According to Bleekemolen, Hadjar undeniably has speed, but he still does not manage to convert that into results in races. “Hadjar is often doing well in qualifying. But in the races, he leaves a lot behind. Because if you just look at the results, it’s really a lot,” the racing driver observes.
Kalff, however, sees an important development that could bring Red Bull Racing a lot in the long term. He points out that Hadjar openly acknowledges how high Verstappen’s level is on race days. “In free practice and qualifying, I see what Max does and then I can be close. But what that man does on Sunday, he is simply flawless,” Kalff quotes the young Red Bull driver. It is precisely that attitude that makes him positive.
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According to Kalff, Hadjar distinguishes himself from Verstappen’s previous teammates by this. Instead of blaming the car or the team, he accepts that Verstappen is simply performing at a higher level at the moment. “I think this might be Red Bull Racing’s biggest gain. They finally have someone who just accepts that there is someone next to him who is really much better right now. He wants to improve himself, instead of complaining about the setup.”
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