Isack Hadjar was brought into the Racing Bulls team at the very last moment, and almost no one expected much from him. Now, the young French driver has become one of the most talked-about names in Formula 1, and many believe he could join Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen next season. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s racing advisor, has spoken very highly of Hadjar and even compared him to Verstappen.

Except for his unlucky first race in Australia, where he crashed out before the start, Hadjar has been the clear standout in the Racing Bulls team. In his first eighteen races, he has scored thirty-eight points and earned his first podium at Zandvoort. His strong performances have caught everyone’s attention, especially that of Helmut Marko.

After the Singapore Grand Prix, where a technical problem stopped Hadjar from scoring points, Marko praised how quickly the rookie learns new tracks. “Isack really impressed me,” Marko said. “After just two laps in practice he was already one of the fastest cars on the track. He keeps improving and doing exactly what we want from him. He doesn’t need time to warm up or to learn the track. It’s very similar to Max.”

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Marko also added that Hadjar’s natural speed and confidence remind him of Verstappen when he first arrived in Formula 1. “It’s another advantage he has,” he said. “He proved it at nearly every circuit he’s been to.”

While Hadjar continues to rise, his teammate Liam Lawson had a much more difficult weekend in Singapore. On Friday, he hit the barriers at Turn Seven, which forced the team to completely rebuild his car. Then, in the final practice session, he crashed again at Turn Thirteen. Despite this, the Racing Bulls mechanics worked tirelessly to finish the repairs just before qualifying, and Lawson managed to take thirteenth place on the grid.

Helmut Marko admitted that the accidents had a big effect on Lawson’s weekend but still praised him for his effort. “He had a crash, but that can happen here,” Marko said. “Considering his speed, he was still competitive.”