Making the jump from the junior categories to Formula 1 is a significant step as there is much more pressure and media attention.
Formula 2 is the final step on the junior ladder, which shadows Formula 1 across the season and provides young drivers with a platform to show their skills.
Heading into 2025, at least three drivers from this season’s Formula 2 grid are making the step up, including Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
There are two rounds remaining in this year’s Formula 2 championship, and one driver in particular may have cost himself an opportunity to race in F1 in 2025.
Isack Hadjar spun in Qatar and cost himself an RB seat in 2025
Isack Hadjar is competing for the Formula 2 championship against Gabriel Bortoleto who already has a Formula 1 seat secured with Sauber for next year.
Hadjar was fighting Oliver Bearman for the race victory at the Lusail International Circuit and lost the lead with three laps to go.
The Campos driver was overtaken at Turn 1 before making an amateurish mistake later in the lap as he dropped off the podium to fourth place.
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In the closing laps, the Safety Car was deployed which neutralised the race and ended any opportunities for places to be gained.
This was a significant missed opportunity as his title rival, Bortoleto, was behind him. Hadjar still scored more points than the McLaren junior but missed out on a critical race win.
As well as losing him points, the error may also cost Hadjar an opportunity to compete in F1 next season at RB.
There is a seat up for grabs alongside Yuki Tsunoda as there could be movement in the Red Bull programme for 2025.
Sergio Perez continues to struggle alongside Max Verstappen, and Lawson may be promoted to partner the Dutchman at Red Bull next season.
If the Kiwi does move up, Hadjar is a candidate to replace Lawson, as he’s been embedded within the Red Bull academy since 2022.
Life may be made more tricky by the error, which indicates a lack of racecraft, as he made a needless mistake under pressure.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner commented his young driver was ‘outstanding’ when speaking to the official Formula 1 website earlier this year, but Hadjar’s error may make life more difficult.
Isack Hadjar showed a lack of awareness in the Formula 2 Sprint
Hadjar led the race for the majority of the distance but lost the lead and admitted before the chequered flag he didn’t realise there were three laps to go.
The Frenchman said on the team radio: “I didn’t realise it was three laps to go. I didn’t realise. I should have been much more much more aggressive on defence. So sorry.”
Horner and Helmut Marko may take a dim view of little details such as this as they need a reliable driver that they can depend on to score points.
Marko is confident Hadjar is ready for F1, but Red Bull have been very tough on young drivers who make errors and haven’t hesitated to drop them from the programme.
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