Isack Hadjar's impressive run with Red Bull this season has got Karun Chandhok thinking about how much timing matters in Formula 1. The French driver's been putting together a seriously solid streak of top-six finishes, and while he was frustrated to come fifth at the Malaysia Grand Prix, his consistency is exactly what the team's been crying out for. Chandhok reckons Hadjar's stumbled into the perfect window of opportunity, and that's thrown some harsh light on how badly Liam Lawson's timing was off when he got his chance at the team.

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Here's the thing, right: when Lawson got shoved into the Red Bull last year, he got absolutely battered. He was running around eight-tenths slower than Max Verstappen in qualifying and lasted just two races before getting demoted back to Racing Bulls. But this year, when Lawson did his three-race stint, he was suddenly much closer to Max, averaging less than three-tenths of a second down the road. That's a massive difference. Lawson even scored 14 points in those three races and would've had more if it weren't for an engine penalty and a pit stop forced on him by damage at Monza.

The reason for the turnaround? It's all down to the 2026 regulation changes, according to Chandhok. He's explained that the new cars are much more neutral, less biased toward Max's driving style like the old generation used to be. The RB21 was apparently on a knife-edge, which made it a nightmare for anyone other than Verstappen. The 2026 car is simply more user-friendly across the board, which has leveled the playing field in the second seat.

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When Hadjar arrived, he caught the wave perfectly. The new regulations meant Red Bull's car wasn't designed specifically around one driver's preferences anymore, giving him a fighting chance from day one. Lawson had the misfortune of trying to make the old, Max-biased machine work, which was never going to happen. Chandhok's full of praise for what Hadjar's done, but he's pretty clear that it's about seizing the moment when the moment's right. Lawson's back at Racing Bulls producing solid performances now, but the second Red Bull seat has gone from being pure poison to actually being a proper opportunity. That's the difference a year and some new regulations can make.

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Both Lawson and Verstappen have acknowledged that the 2026 cars make it harder for drivers to create meaningful differences thanks to energy management demands, which explains why someone like Lawson could suddenly look competitive. He's proven he's got the talent, but last year the machinery just wouldn't cooperate. This year proved that when the car's willing to work with you, everything changes.

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