F1 | Tsunoda out and Hadjar in? Mekies denies: “We have no intention to change”
Laurent Mekies, speaking during the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, dismissed the possibility of another driver change in Red Bull’s lineup for 2025.
Following fresh rumors that surfaced during the opening days at Monza, the Red Bull Team Principal was asked about the situation within the team’s driver program. Mekies made it clear that Isack Hadjar will not be promoted from RB to the senior Red Bull squad before 2026. He underlined the progress made by Yuki Tsunoda and added that several other drivers from the program remain strong candidates for future opportunities.
Sky Sports commentator Karun Chandhok fueled speculation during FP1, suggesting that the Milton Keynes-based team might be considering giving Hadjar a promotion for the final three races of the season. However, Chandhok admitted he was not enthusiastic about the idea. Putting a rookie up against Max Verstappen in a car he doesn’t yet know could undermine his confidence during his first year in Formula 1. In his view, 2026, with the arrival of the new technical regulations, would be a more suitable moment for Hadjar to step up.
Mekies’ words
Hadjar has been widely recognized as the most impressive rookie currently on the grid. He has shown consistency, strong skills, and recently claimed his first Formula 1 podium in Zandvoort. Despite this, Mekies confirmed during the Team Principals’ press conference that Red Bull has no plans to change its driver lineup for 2025.
He explained: “I think the short answer is yes. I believe we’ve been very clear, and we’ve said publicly that we have time to make our driver decision.”
He continued: “We have enough candidates in the driver program to cover different scenarios for next year. There’s no real reason to rush the process. To return to the point, we don’t foresee any changes during the season.”
Mekies also pointed out Tsunoda’s improvement: “Yuki has made a good step forward over the past three races. Of course, we all want more, but he is doing a solid job. He scored points again for the first time in seven races at Zandvoort. And in Budapest, he was fairly close to Max.”
Red Bull is not looking at drivers from outside its academy, so there is no urgency in naming Verstappen’s teammate for 2026. Nevertheless, given his potential, Hadjar remains the favorite for the seat, even though that would create a vacancy at RB.
“It is obviously very encouraging to see Isack’s progress in the Racing Bulls car. Watching him perform at the level he showed in the last race was a fantastic demonstration of how much he has grown throughout the season,” Laurent Mekies commented.
He added: “We feel comfortable with our driver situation because essentially we hold all the cards within Red Bull. We can take a few more weeks or even months to make a final call.”
Finally, he concluded: “Of course, this does not mean we will wait until the very last race to decide, because we respect the fact that it could impact our drivers one way or another. But for now, we definitely have time.”
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