Mekies says Hadjar ‘absolutely nailed’ his Red Bull debut

Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies praised Isack Hadjar’s impressive debut after the rookie secured a top-three qualifying spot at the season opener in Melbourne. Despite a battery failure forcing his retirement during the race, Mekies hailed Hadjar’s quick adaptation to the 2026 regulations. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen fought back from 20th to 6th, and the team remains focused on closing the performance gap to leaders Mercedes and Ferrari through rapid development.