Hadjar's 'Pretty Easy' Red Bull Verdict Undermined by Miami Disaster

Isack Hadjar's breezy confidence about his Red Bull switch came crashing down in Miami. After insisting the transition had been "pretty easy" and that he felt comfortable extracting the maximum, the Frenchman endured his worst weekend in the senior team—qualifying roughly a second off Max Verstappen before binning the RB22 in the grand prix.

Why it matters:

The dramatic swing from early promise to a disastrous weekend raises questions about Hadjar's ability to sustain the level needed alongside a four-time champion. After out-qualifying Verstappen twice in the first three rounds (though aided by the Dutchman's Q1 crash in Australia), Miami exposed a widening gap. With Verstappen unlocking significant pace from the car's comprehensive upgrades, Hadjar now faces the same pressure that broke previous Red Bull number twos.

The details:

• The quote that aged poorly: Before Miami, Hadjar told media including RacingNews365 that "Honestly, transitioning to Red Bull's been pretty easy" and that he felt "very comfortable delivering the best."
• The reality: In Miami, Hadjar was nowhere near Verstappen's pace over one lap, trailing by roughly a second. The race ended early when he crashed out of the grand prix.
• Contrasting fortunes: Verstappen thrived with upgrades, while Hadjar had his most difficult weekend in Red Bull colors. The 21-year-old now sits on just four points from four rounds (including two sprint races), a tally that includes a podium from early season.
• Historical context: Previous Red Bull second drivers—Gasly, Albon, Pérez—all initially showed flashes before inconsistency eroded their seats. Hadjar's Miami blowup follows that pattern.

What's next:

Hadjar needs a strong rebound in the coming races to quiet growing skepticism. The Red Bull seat is notoriously unforgiving, and while his early form earned goodwill, Miami proved that being a "closer match" to Verstappen than his predecessors could be a fleeting moment. The next few weekends will reveal whether this was just a blip or the start of a familiar decline.