In March, Kimi Antonelli crossed the line in Shanghai to claim his first Grand Prix victory, becoming the 116th driver to win a Formula 1 World Championship race. As he celebrated that milestone, the question naturally follows: who will be next to join the winners’ list?
Isack Hadjar — the current picture:
Hadjar has shown impressive one-lap speed, out-qualifying Max Verstappen twice in three events and taking third on the grid for the season opener in Melbourne. Encouragingly, he hasn’t displayed the same drop-off in performance that affected some predecessors in the second Red Bull seat. The flip side is that Red Bull as a team have slid back toward the midfield, which limits his immediate opportunities to convert strong qualifying performances into race victories. Still, Hadjar’s raw pace makes him a genuine contender should the team regain performance or circumstances in a race create an opening for a breakthrough win.