Marko: The atmosphere in the team is completely different from before.

      In an interview with OE24, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko spoke about Isack Hadjar's successes and his expectations…

      Question: How unexpected was Isack Hadjar’s third place in Zandvoort?

      Helmut Marko: Not entirely unexpected, if you trace Hadjar’s path into Formula 1 and his achievements. That said, before the start of the season Hadjar did only 500 kilometres in testing, while, for example, Kimi Antonelli, whom Toto Wolff praises so much, did more than 10,000 km in a two-year-old car.

      Question: Why, after Liam Lawson’s dismissal from Red Bull Racing, did you put Tsunoda in the cockpit of the second car next to Verstappen, and not Hadjar?

      Helmut Marko: Because a driver competing in the same team as Max must have a certain amount of experience. In a top team the pressure is much greater. The decision about next season will be made before October. There’s still time.

      Question: Tell us, what is Isack like in real life?

      Helmut Marko: A cheerful and smart guy. His mother is HR director at a large company, his father is a nuclear physicist.

      Question: Next year Hadjar may have to work with team principal Laurent Mekies. Do you think they will work well together?

      Helmut Marko: Mekies is an excellent engineer, which is a huge advantage given the complexity of modern Formula 1. He gets on well with people, so the atmosphere in the team is completely different than before under Horner’s leadership.

      Question: At Zandvoort Verstappen was satisfied with second place behind Piastri, is he now less demanding about results?

      Helmut Marko: We must be realistic. In terms of pace McLaren’s car is faster than us by three quarters of a second per lap. But we managed to pull away from Ferrari and Mercedes, which are now about a second behind us.

      Question: Will Red Bull be able to win races at the end of the season?

      Helmut Marko: In Baku, Austin, Jeddah or Mexico there are chances. In Monza it will be harder — too many chicanes. This weekend it will be difficult even to get on the podium. Piastri will calmly take the victory — the fate of the title is almost decided, he has nothing to worry about.

      Question: Christian Horner said that with an in-house power unit you are unlikely to fight for wins in 2026…

      Helmut Marko: That may be so, given the experience of our rivals. But we’ll see. With the new regulations anything is possible. I think we’ll see big surprises, both positive and negative. For now I’m optimistic.