Why NO F1 Driver Can Drive Like Max Verstappen

Why NO F1 Driver Can Drive Like Max Verstappen Why can no F1 driver drive like Max Verstappen? In 2026 the answer changed. His teammate Isack Hadjar is now within two tenths of him in qualifying and has beaten him on Saturday four times. Yet in every race this year where both Red Bulls reached the flag, Verstappen finished ahead. This video explains that split. We look at the 2026 head-to-head numbers, Hadjar's record against his predecessors, and Baku, where Hadjar qualified four places ahead and still finished behind. Then we go through the Zandvoort qualifying telemetry: Liam Lawson, in the second Red Bull, was faster in the corners, but Verstappen braked later, spent more of the lap at full throttle (61.7% to 57.6%) and deployed more electrical energy in the final sector to win the lap by 0.12 seconds. The key comes from Hadjar himself: "He doesn't have a driving style. He adapts to what he's given." Under the 2026 rules, where energy use and commitment matter as much as cornering, that adaptability is what turns a close Saturday into a clear Sunday. We also look at the other side: the Spa tow Red Bull gave Verstappen, and why race head-to-heads can be misleading. And we explain what it means for Red Bull heading to Sepang. Is Hadjar the closest teammate Verstappen has ever had, or does the Sunday record show the gap is as big as ever? Tell us in the comments. Subscribe to F1 News Lab for Verstappen stories told through the numbers the broadcast skips. #MaxVerstappen #IsackHadjar #RedBullRacing #F12026 #F1Analysis