The rise of Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar’s debut in Formula 1 did not exactly go to plan. The young French-Algerian driver, who entered the sport as the runner-up in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, retired before the Australian Grand Prix even began after spinning off during the formation lap. That incident raised doubts about his readiness for the big stage. However, once he overcame that early sporting trauma, his steady improvement quickly began to silence critics. Results such as his impressive sixth place in Monaco demonstrated his potential and contributed to him sitting second in the rookie standings, behind only Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Links to a future with Red Bull
Hadjar’s performances have inevitably sparked speculation about a future promotion to Red Bull Racing. These rumours intensified after his former Racing Bulls teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, has struggled to adapt at Milton Keynes since stepping into the RB21. Yuki Tsunoda was brought in as a replacement after only two races for Liam Lawson, who subsequently returned to Racing Bulls.
As the season heads into its next phase at Zandvoort, the championship standings underline Hadjar’s growth. He currently sits 13th overall with 22 points, a clear 12 ahead of Tsunoda, who is only 19th in the rankings. Such numbers have inevitably fuelled speculation about a mid-season switch to Red Bull, although Racing Bulls’ leadership has consistently rejected the idea. Peter Bayer, the team’s CEO, even joked in the past that Hadjar was “handcuffed” to the team. While clearly tongue-in-cheek, the Austrian executive has reiterated that there is no intention of allowing Hadjar to move to Red Bull or any other leading team just yet.
“We have strong internal alignment on the fact that we need to approach this year calmly, with everyone focused on our work,” Bayer told PlanetF1.com. “I am sure that after the summer break, discussions about 2026 will begin, but honestly, I dare to say that in 2025 we all want to keep things steady. When it comes to Isack, we want to give him the chance to grow and to learn. Honestly, it’s incredible.”
A glimpse of Hadjar’s talent
Peter Bayer also highlighted a specific moment that left him particularly impressed with Isack Hadjar’s ability during the Austrian Grand Prix. He explained that while listening in on team radio, he heard Hadjar’s race engineer, Pierre Hamelin, telling him he was losing around half a tenth in Turn 6. Isack Hadjar immediately asked for more precision, prompting Hamelin to specify that the exact loss was 0.035 seconds. The 20-year-old responded with a confident “OK, then I know what to do,” and promptly corrected the issue.
“Honestly,” Bayer concluded, “I think we are going to see great things from him. His mind is constantly working and developing. Isack is a fantastic young guy, but he needs this year with us, and everyone agrees that this is the right path to take.”
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