Isack Hadjar has already extended his contract at Red Bull for at least one more year after a strong first season.

From the moment Hadjar qualified an impressive third for the season opener in Australia, that decision never seemed in doubt. He has since scored two podiums and 105 points, ending the second-driver crisis at Red Bull.

The team haven’t had a second driver this dependable since peak Sergio Perez, and even then Hadjar has arguably been more consistent. He is within two-tenths of Verstappen in qualifying on average, an impressive feat considering it’s just his second season in F1.

Isack Hadjar’s poor attitude may re-open the Red Bull door for Liam Lawson

Hadjar is clearly an exciting talent, but his attitude must improve. Red Bull may not be overly concerned right now; after all, they would sooner have a fast driver with a short temper than a struggling driver with an exemplary mindset.

But if weekends like Austin become the norm, then his relationship with the team will be tested. The problem isn’t necessarily that Hadjar didn’t follow team orders exactly as requested when Verstappen caught up to him.

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Ultimately, while he will be reminded of the need to put the team first, he only held up Verstappen for three corners and was understandably thinking about his own race.

Hadjar’s general style of communication was the real issue. After qualifying third on Saturday, he even apologised to his engineers for being so harsh.

And yet, it was exactly the same in the race, particularly in the second stint when he dealt with throttle issues.

If this was an isolated incident, Laurent Mekies could brush it off. But it wasn’t: Hadjar’s radio made for uncomfortable listening in Malaysia just two races prior, and he still hasn’t shaken off his irascible reputation.

Perhaps Hadjar has been influenced by how teammate Verstappen communicates. The Dutchman also has a tendency to chastise his team over the radio at times, but the key difference is that he has four world championships behind him and has been with the team for a decade.

That’s not to say he has carte blanche over the radio, but the relationship is clearly strong enough to withstand occasional barbs.

Hadjar hasn’t built that kind of bond yet. And that’s why, in the words of Ralf Schumacher, he ‘needs to take it down a notch’ (via F1 Insider).

Ever since he was dropped at the start of 2025, the narrative has been that Liam Lawson won’t get another chance at Red Bull. But with every Q3 appearance and points finish – the Kiwi now has 23 of those combined this year – that stance will surely be softening.

If Lawson can maintain this level or get even better, he at least merits consideration in the longer term.

If Red Bull feel he can match Hadjar’s results, without creating the same problems from a managerial perspective, then he starts to look like a compelling alternative.

Just because Hadjar has deservedly secured a new contract, he shouldn’t assume there’s no threat from elsewhere. And he needs to realise that he’s being evaluated as a person as well as a driver.