Red Bull Taps Richard Wood as Isack Hadjar's Race Engineer for 2026 Debut
Rookie Isack Hadjar will work with race engineer Richard Wood for his 2026 Red Bull debut. Wood, a team veteran, previously engineered for the team's second drivers throughout the 2025 season.
Red Bull is set to pair its 2026 rookie driver, Isack Hadjar, with veteran race engineer Richard Wood. The assignment is a logical continuation, as Wood has served as the dedicated engineer for the team's second car throughout the 2025 season, guiding Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and most recently, Yuki Tsunoda.
Why it matters:
For a rookie driver entering a top team like Red Bull, a strong and stable relationship with a race engineer is critical for success. Wood's deep familiarity with the team's operations and the car's systems provides Hadjar with a significant advantage, allowing him to focus on adapting to Formula 1 rather than learning a new environment. This continuity is a key asset as Red Bull looks to integrate its young talent into a championship-winning structure.
The details:
- A Familiar Face: Wood has been the constant on the pit wall for the second Red Bull driver in 2025, following Sergio Perez's early-season replacement and subsequent driver changes with Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.
- Team Veteran: The British engineer has been with Red Bull for over 13 years, joining the team in 2012 and holding various technical roles before his promotion.
- Path to the Role: Before becoming a full-time race engineer, Wood served as a performance engineer from 2021-2024, focusing on car optimization and setup, and also supported the team's simulator program.
- Replacing a Leader: Wood permanently took over the role from Hugh Bird, who moved into a new position as the Suspension Group Team Leader, a role that doesn't require trackside presence at every Grand Prix.
Looking Ahead:
With the driver lineup and engineering structure for 2026 falling into place, all eyes will be on the on-track chemistry between Hadjar and Wood. As Red Bull aims to maintain its dominance amidst a new set of regulations, the ability of this new pairing to gel quickly and extract maximum performance from the car will be a key storyline to watch in the upcoming season.