Hadjar recalls expecting a long season after first lap with Red Bull’s own power unit

“I was like, wow, this is going to be a long season,” Isack Hadjar recalled of his first lap with Red Bull’s own power unit in Barcelona at the start of the 2026 F1 season. He said the project recovered quickly afterwards, and that he still does not fully realise how impressive the progress has been.

Max Verstappen said his outlook on the project before the 2026 season had been neutral, neither especially optimistic nor negative. He trusted the people hired for the project and said he was pleased with how it started.

Hadjar also recalled how quickly the project grew around him. When he was going to Red Bull, he said, “there was literally just Red Bull Racing”; within about six months, he recalled, two large buildings had appeared.

Hadjar said drivers can influence chassis development through feedback and preferences, but have far less say over a power unit. He has to rely on the team for that work, he said, and is glad it is talented.