Isack Hadjar has been getting used to his RB22 during testing in Barcelona, and he’s already shared some early thoughts on the new 2026 regulations. There’s a lot changing for the Frenchman this year as he settles into Red Bull during a period of transition.
Isack Hadjar has been getting used to his RB22 during testing in Barcelona, and he’s already shared some early thoughts on the new 2026 regulations.
There’s a lot changing for the Frenchman this year as he settles into Red Bull during a period of transition. Several high-profile departures, including Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, have left him not only adapting to a new environment but also to the team’s in-house power unit.
The 21-year-old has been running at the Circuit de Catalunya alongside Max Verstappen during the official shakedown session. Hadjar finished on top of the timesheets on day one and managed over 100 laps—more mileage than he had expected heading into testing.
Red Bull have brought an ‘innovative’ front wing design this season aimed at improving airflow. They’ve also pushed Mercedes and Ferrari’s rear diffuser concept even further by introducing a hole through it.
Testing in Barcelona was mainly about helping Hadjar get comfortable in the RB22 and work through different components. But after stepping out of the car, he made comments that didn’t sit well with everyone around him.
Isack Hadjar says the 2026 cars don’t feel much different
New rules for the 2026 F1 season have introduced big changes to the cars. There’s now an even split between internal combustion and electrical power, no more DRS—instead replaced by overtake mode—and drivers need to manage battery recharging as part of their race strategy.
Most people seem to think there are clear differences compared to the previous generation. But according to Motor Sport Magazine, Hadjar doesn’t see it that way.
“We were able to do a lot more laps than expected,” he said. “It all went pretty smooth. The car itself feels a bit more predictable than last year, more simple, easy to play around with.
“We have more options on the PU side and I was already starting to play about with it. It was a really decent PU for first day and the driving doesn’t really feel too different from before.”
His view stands out from most others in the paddock. Cadillac’s Sergio Perez had a different take: “These cars are massively different. It’s still early days but this is the biggest reg change in my career and it’s a real challenge.”
Bottas added: “There’s a big difference; they handle different, there’s less load in high-speed corners but so much more torque out of the corners. Then you have to manage the battery. It’s a big learning curve.”
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad also felt that there were clear differences, while George Russell noted that although it takes some getting used to, “the car feels quite intuitive” once you do.
Nobody is quite sure why Hadjar isn’t feeling what everyone else is noticing with these new cars. But right now, he seems to be one of only a few holding that view.
Lando Norris calls 2026 McLaren ‘pretty different’ after first run at Barcelona
Lando Norris has also shared his thoughts on the new 2026 cars, and like most of the grid, he disagrees with Hadjar’s assessment. The reigning champion spoke to F1.com after his first run in the MCL40 and said he is excited about adapting to the changes.
“It’s pretty different,” he said. “Not even a huge step. It’s a bit of a step slower in terms of cornering speeds, in terms of acceleration and straight line speed, it probably feels quicker than it did last year.
“You get to 340,350 kph quite a bit quicker than we did in previous years. So, it’s a bit more of a challenge in many places, which is a good thing. But then you have a bit more to understand from the battery, the power unit, all of those things are in some ways more complicated.
“And just different. And whenever something’s different, it always takes a bit of time to figure out the best way to look at it, to manage it, to use it.”
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Category: General Sports
