The Red Bulls are looking likely to take one of their early decisions about the upcoming 2027 F1 season, as the French driver is nearing agreement over an extension deal. After the Hungarian GP, the Red Bulls team boss, Laurent Mekies, stated that there are no intentions to send the young driver back to the development squad or remove him from the permanent roster. These statements were made after the final race before the summer break when Hadjar was in good form while Max Verstappen secured P2. Despite the uncertainty about Verstappen’s future, the position of Red Bulls on Isack Hadjar is becoming more and more clear.
Mekies said strengthening the second Red Bull seat had been one of the team’s main targets before the season, and he believes Hadjar has delivered. The team boss noted that, “That was also one of our goals prior to this season. Isack is performing solidly and has learned a lot from the team and from Max. It is good news, also for Max, that our two cars are a bit closer together. We haven’t discussed the future yet, but everyone can see that Isack is doing an excellent job. So we will make a logical decision.”
Red Bull Turns Focus Toward 2027 Project After Summer Break
Beyond just the driver market, Mekies has also shared that Red Bull’s focus will be shifting after the summer break. While the team will keep fine-tuning the RB22 for the rest of the 2026 season, updates will come less often as they redirect resources to develop the 2027 car. Mekies pointed out that this year is quite different from last season, when Red Bull was in a tight title race right up to the end and had to keep pushing for improvements. With the current competitive landscape, the team feels it’s the perfect moment to invest more in their future.
Even with this strategic pivot, Mekies is still hopeful about Red Bull’s prospects for the remainder of 2026. He’s confident that Verstappen can still contend for race victories, especially given the recent strides that have narrowed the gap to the front runners. He mentioned races like Austria, where Red Bull was much closer to the leaders, and noted that only McLaren really stood out in Hungary. Mekies believes the team has made significant progress, recovering a large portion of its early-season deficit over the last four races.
Mekies also shed light on why the team started the 2026 season at a disadvantage. He explained that the extensive development on last year’s car, along with the challenge of rolling out Red Bull’s own power unit, set back their progress on the current package. While these choices posed short-term challenges, Mekies is optimistic that they will yield greater benefits down the line. With Hadjar gaining the team’s confidence and development already shifting towards 2027, Red Bull is heading into the summer break with a plan for both the rest of this season and the next chapter of their Formula 1 journey.
