Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar has reflected on his dream-come-true moment of racing his F1 idol Lewis Hamilton. The Frenchman, who made his F1 debut with Racing Bulls in 2025, found himself battling the seven-time champion on the track on multiple occasions.
Ideally, the two should’ve rarely found themselves contending for position, considering the expected gap in performance between a front-running Ferrari and the midfield RB team. However, the Scuderia seemed like a shadow of its race-winning self. Moreover, Hamilton had a tough time integrating into his new team’s system and adapting to the regressing performance of the SF25.
Meanwhile, Racing Bulls had a relatively easy-to-drive car. This allowed Isack Hadjar to fight consistently for points and also helped him achieve his first career podium at the Dutch GP. As the 21-year-old prepares for his Red Bull promotion for 2026, he reflected on combating Lewis Hamilton last season.
In a recent episode of Red Bull’s “Talking Bull” podcast on YouTube, when asked about this dream come true, Hadjar said:
“No, of course. There’s actually been more races than I thought where I was racing him. Obviously, it’s always a scenario where he’s actually taking my position. You know, he’s got more race pace, he’s in a faster car. But still, it’s been quite good to have moments where I’m out-braking him, he’s cutting me back, and I’m like, ‘I get to race the guy I always looked up to.’ It’s very sick.”
Isack Hadjar’s rookie season began with a heartbreaking formation lap crash at the Australian GP, and it was Lewis Hamilton’s father, Anthony Hamilton, who consoled the crying Frenchman. The duo shared a heartwarming hug, with the senior Hamilton saying he felt for Hadjar “like a father.”
Lewis Hamilton gives verdict on Isack Hadjar’s promotion to the cursed second Red Bull set
In December, Red Bull confirmed it would promote Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls to replace Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull in 2026. However, the fan sentiment was far from positive, considering how many drivers have been crushed in the second seat alongside Max Verstappen.
Lewis Hamilton also addressed this move, but didn’t have any doubts about Hadjar’s caliber.
“I’m not going to lie that it doesn’t worry me,” Hamilton said. “I think he’s done an amazing job this year and he’s still very, very young, he’s still learning a lot about himself and his surroundings. But he’s done a phenomenal job this year and he’s got a great approach.”
Though Hamilton showed faith in Isack Hadjar’s capability, he did touch upon the bittersweet experience of being a Red Bull driver.
“We all know what happens when people go to Red Bull and the environment that you’re thrown into. Obviously I’ve not been there so I can’t tell from experience but looking from the outside it’s obviously quite difficult and where he is [at Racing Bulls], he’s got, it seems, a really good environment,” the Ferrari driver added.
Fortunately for Isack Hadjar, he moves to Red Bull at a pivotal point in F1’s technical journey. As the sport enters the new technical era in 2026, all teams will start with a fresh slate, and drivers, on relatively equal footing.
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