Lewis Hamilton ‘would struggle at Red Bull’ as Sergio Perez sends stark warning to F1 star | F1 | Sport

Sergio Perez believes that ‘even Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’ would struggle going up against Max Verstappen within the Red Bull team. The Mexican racer sent a stark warning to Isack Hadjar, who is expected to be announced as the Dutchman’s next team-mate in the coming weeks.

Hadjar was promoted onto the Formula One grid as part of the chain reaction triggered by Perez’s unceremonious exit from Red Bull in December, and the French-Algerian prospect grasped the opportunity with both hands. He has scored a podium and eight top-10 finishes so far in 2025, and sits in the top half of the standings.

These performances, combined with the struggles of incumbent driver Yuki Tsunoda and predecessor Liam Lawson, have turned him into the obvious candidate to partner Verstappen in 2026. However, Perez had some words of caution for Hadjar to consider.

“I don’t like criticising the drivers that are there, because I was in that position,” he told Sky Sports F1 ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. “I know what exactly they’re going through. The minute I signed my exit with Red Bull, when we came to an agreement, I [thought] ‘That poor guy who comes here’.”

Perez continued: “It’s a very difficult place. Obviously, being next to Max is very difficult, but being next to Max in Red Bull… it’s something people don’t understand. There are so many things that I could tell you.

“But it’s simply just a very difficult job for a driver. There is no driver that can survive there. It doesn’t matter if you bring Hamilton or Leclerc – whoever you bring, there is going to struggle massively.”

Hadjar’s meteoric rise has come to the surprise of even the 21-year-old himself, but after months of speculation, the constant spotlight on him is taking its toll. “Actually, I’d like to know at the end of the year,” he said. “It’s more annoying than anything, the noise. So five races to keep pushing.”

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Helmut Marko has already made it clear that Red Bull will decide their driver line-ups after this weekend’s Mexican GP, making Sunday’s race a pivotal moment in the careers of Hadjar, Lawson and Tsunoda. 

Racing Bulls’ rookie prodigy is in a strong position in that regard, as he will start eighth on the grid behind World Championship leader Oscar Piastri. “If there’s one more weekend to make the difference, I need to perform well,” he confessed.

“I have no regrets this year with what I did. I don’t think one weekend will change the difference, except if I end up on the podium or win the race! I’m happy with my season. I will keep pushing.”