Guenther Steiner backs Isack Hadjar ahead of Red Bull switch as he names his rookie of the year

Guenther Steiner branded Isack Hadjar 'rookie of the year' after he finished 12th in the drivers' standings with 51 points, ahead of his Racing Bulls team-mate Liam Lawson in 14th with 38 points.

The French-Algerian driver came back strongly after a disappointing start to his season when he crashed during the formation lap of the Australian Grand Prix. He went on to score his first grand prix podium with a third-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix.

"Isack Hadjar. Because over the season, he was the guy who was... I mean, they all did well, but Kimi [Antonelli] struggled a few times badly, Isack just struggled in Australia," Steiner explained on The Red Flags Podcast when asked who his rookie of the year was.

"He didn't make it to the start, but recovered, and for me the most impressive thing from him was that he recovered from that one and was back with his head on his shoulders the next race in China."

Hadjar started his rookie season alongside Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls but was joined by Liam Lawson after just two race weekends as the Japanese driver replaced the New Zealander at Red Bull. Steiner argued that it could have been more difficult for Hadjar to have a rookie team-mate rather than an experienced one.

"If Hadjar had had an experienced team-mate, you learn quicker. He had to do it all himself," he said.

"I think that's what makes him even more outstanding because if you've got a reference in a team-mate you can look at the data of that guy and learn from it.

"So it's like he was on his own. When he had an issue or when he couldn't find a set-up, he had nobody to look at, or if he couldn't find a line on the race track or a braking point, or just getting better. He was on his own. I give him a lot of respect for that one as well."

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

Photo by: Noushad Thekkayil / NurPhoto via Getty Images

Hadjar is set to join four-time champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2026. The Milton Keynes outfit has struggled in recent years to find a team-mate for the Dutchman who has been able to extract the same level of performance out of the car, leading them to make multiple driver changes.

"He has got that chance which should be an advantage that he doesn't come in with a car which Max knows in and out and he doesn't," Steiner explained of Hadjar's upcoming move to Red Bull, which coincides with the new regulations in Formula 1.

"They both know nothing about the car. So that is to his advantage. I mean to challenge Max, you need to be very good, but at least I think he can keep the pressure on Max. That is what I expect from him because he's doing well."