Isack Hadjar believes Max Verstappen is making the difference at Red Bull, suggesting that the Dutchman's recent success is not simply down to the performance of the RB22. The Frenchman even claimed that Verstappen could have won the Singapore Grand Prix by a greater margin if he were driving a Ferrari.

Hadjar believes Verstappen is making the difference

Red Bull has shown significant progress in recent races, particularly following the major upgrade package introduced in Azerbaijan, which included revisions to the floor, diffuser and sidepods.

The improvements helped Verstappen return to the top step of the podium in Malaysia before securing another victory in Singapore. However, despite the recent updates, Hadjar believes the RB22 remains a difficult car to drive and is not necessarily the fastest on the grid.

Speaking about the team's recent performances, the Frenchman questioned whether Red Bull really enjoyed a pace advantage over its rivals in Singapore, pointing instead to Verstappen's ability to extract the maximum from the car.

"I think the car is still very hard to drive. In Malaysia, it was dominant, but I don't think in Singapore, it was the fastest car. That's what I believe. I think if you put Max in the Ferrari, he would have won the race with more margin. So that's my opinion. In Singapore, I think it was the fastest car."

Photo: Race Pictures

The contrast between the two teams was particularly evident in Singapore, where Verstappen secured pole position and went on to win the Grand Prix ahead of Charles Leclerc. Despite Ferrari's strong pace throughout the weekend, the Dutchman managed to keep his rivals behind and claim his second consecutive victory.

Verstappen and Hadjar experience contrasting fortunes

The two Red Bull drivers have experienced different fortunes over the last three race weekends. In Azerbaijan, Verstappen finished second, just 0.196 seconds behind race winner George Russell, while Hadjar completed a double podium for the team in third place.

Verstappen then secured his first Grand Prix victory of the season in Malaysia, finishing ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton. Hadjar also scored points at Sepang, but could only manage fifth place, behind Charles Leclerc.

The gap between the team-mates was considerably greater in Singapore, largely due to the technical problems that plagued Hadjar throughout the weekend. While Verstappen claimed pole position and won both the Sprint and Sunday's Grand Prix, crossing the line 7.335 seconds ahead of Leclerc, the Frenchman struggled with reliability issues that severely compromised his chances. After starting the Grand Prix from the pit lane, Hadjar recovered to finish tenth, securing the final point.