Isack Hadjar Breaks the 'Curse' of Red Bull's Second Seat with Monaco Podium

For over two years, the second seat at Red Bull Racing has been regarded as a 'curse,' where talented drivers like Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda saw their performances collapse under the shadow of Max Verstappen. That cycle was finally broken during the Monaco Grand Prix, as rookie Isack Hadjar secured a hard-fought third-place finish, the first for a non-Verstappen driver since Perez's podium in Shanghai back in April 2024.

Why it matters:

Red Bull's struggle to find a consistent partner for Verstappen has been a defining narrative of the team's recent seasons. While the RB chassis is designed for championship dominance, the psychological and technical pressure of the second seat has historically led to a downward spiral for its occupants. Hadjar’s ability to deliver a podium—while managing significant setbacks—suggests a shift in the mental fortitude and adaptability required to thrive alongside the three-time world champion.

The details:

• Resilience under pressure: Hadjar’s weekend was far from perfect. He suffered a heavy crash in FP1, losing over half a session, yet managed to rebuild his confidence through FP3 to qualify an impressive fifth.
• Technical adversity: The race was a survival exercise. Team boss Laurent Mekies revealed that Hadjar dealt with significant engine power loss and energy management issues early in the race, further complicated by a trip through the run-off at the chicane.
• Mental approach: Unlike his predecessors, Hadjar has avoided the 'vocabulary of excuses.' His brutal honesty regarding his mistakes and a minimum-requirement mindset have allowed him to recover from lows—such as his Miami crash—faster than previous drivers.
• Team effort: The podium was a result of a massive mechanical push, with the crew prioritizing Hadjar's car repair in FP2 to ensure he had track time before Verstappen's scheduled run.

The big picture:

In a 2026 season defined by the rise of Kimi Antonelli and the revival of Lewis Hamilton, Hadjar’s progression is a quiet but critical victory for Red Bull. By proving that the second seat is not an inevitable path to failure, Red Bull stabilizes its driver lineup and maximizes its points potential for the Constructors' Championship.

What's next:

While Hadjar remains characteristically unsatisfied with a P3 finish—viewing it as the standard expectation for a top-tier team—this result validates his position in the seat. The focus now shifts to whether he can maintain this consistency across different circuits, effectively erasing the 'cursed' reputation of the RB's second cockpit for good.