I have very mixed feelings on Isack because on one hand, he’s pretty much the only one at RBR besides GP who actually seems like he has Max’s back. It’s good to know that at least SOMEONE is in Max’s corner when it seems like everyone else is trying everything they can to make Max feel unwanted.
But on the other hand, the amount of glaze Isack has been getting is so excessive. Everyone loves to talk about how he “broke the second seat curse”, but the thing is he hasn’t done anything. He’s benefitted from the team doing everything in their power to screw Max over, and besides that, the gaps between teams are huge compared to last year. It’s virtually impossible for Isack to fall into the midfield or backmarker pack. If we actually take a look at his race pace, his deficit to Max is the worst across the grid between all teammate pairings. I honestly think that if Checo or Yuki were still in the second seat, they would be looking relatively decent this year too.
Of course, I don’t think Isack himself is the problem. I think this is the result of Mekies being way too invested in his career as well as wanting to claim some sort of glory. Isack is basically his personal project; he was his TP in Racing Bulls, and it was his decision to promote Isack to the second Red Bull seat. Mekies wants Isack to be successful because he can claim that he “made” him a winner. Whereas with Max, by the time they started working together, Max was already a highly accomplished and respected driver, so he can’t take any credit for his achievements.
Yeah I don't have much to add on the matter it's all a mess
