Helmut Marko offers Isack Hadjar verdict after Bahrain practice

Isack Hadjar has impressed Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko with his consistently strong performances and immediate pace at every track after earning his first F1 points in Japan.

Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar has impressed Red Bull Racing motorsport advisor Helmut Marko for immediately being "on speed" at every track.

Red Bull and its sister team, Racing Bulls, have seen a lot of changes so far this season. The Milton Keynes outfit decided to part ways with Sergio Perez after losing the 2024 constructors' championship to McLaren, ultimately finishing third behind Ferrari.

After assessing both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda for the seat alongside Max Verstappen, the team opted for the former to take the coveted seat for his rookie season. However, after just two race weekends, Lawson found himself replaced by Tsunoda and moved back to the sister team.

At the same time, Hadjar, also in his rookie season, has been securing consistently impressive performances, aside from his formation lap crash in Australia. The French-Algerian driver picked up his first Formula 1 points in Japan last weekend with an eighth-place finish.

While speaking with Motorsport.com in Bahrain, Marko discussed his thoughts on the Racing Bulls team's practice day, admitting that he was surprised by Hadjar's recent performances.

"Hadjar is a big surprise. This is a circuit he knows, but everywhere we come, immediately he's on speed, and very unspectacular, he provides a super performance," Marko explained.

Hadjar put down the 12th fastest time during practice 1 and was sixth fastest in practice 2 in Bahrain - although it is worth noting that practice sessions are not fully representative.

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

The 20-year-old has confirmed that he would still jump at the opportunity to drive alongside Verstappen despite his team-mates' recent struggles.

“Honestly, now that it seems like it's really hard to be next to Max, it makes me want to go even more, to find out why, what's going on. That's still the main target,” he said.

“It's not like I don't need to work anymore. Still, I always put the pressure on me to keep delivering. So now the expectations from people are maybe a bit higher, but I keep doing what I do.

“Like I said before the season, my target would be to keep... If the car can finish in P9 or P8, I want to be there, maximise it, not being outside the top 10. If the car deserves the top 10, then I need to be on it.”