Helmut Marko tells Isack Hadjar what he must improve ahead of potential 2025 F1 promotion

Isack Hadjar is staring at the possibility of joining the Formula 1 grid for the 2025 season.

It comes in the wake of the rumours that Sergio Perez is set to leave Red Bull before next season after his dismal 2024 campaign.

The Mexican finished eighth in the Drivers’ Championship having not finished in the top five after the Miami Grand Prix, while teammate Max Verstappen claimed nine wins and his fourth consecutive title.

Red Bull had offered Perez a new contract in June for 2025 in the hopes he would improve his form, but things only got worse after that as he only finished higher than 10th once in the last eight races.

With immense pressure being placed on him to keep his seat, it does seem that Perez is set to leave the team for next year, with Liam Lawson set to be promoted from RB to Red Bull.

As the Kiwi driver is due to land the second seat with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, Hadjar is set to get the vacant seat at RB alongside Yuki Tsunoda, who will spend a fifth season with the Faenza squad in 2025.

Helmut Marko says Isack Hadjar must ‘keep his emotions under control’ over the radio

Hadjar missed out on the Formula 2 title to Gabriel Bortoleto in Abu Dhabi after suffering a mechanical issue at the start of the Feature Race, leaving him 19th while the Brazilian finished second to win the title.

Speaking on the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Helmut Marko acknowledged that the speed is there from Hadjar and that it was a ‘big achievement’ to finish where he did in the standings despite his issues.

But the Austrian stressed that the 19-year-old must keep cool over his team radio, as he has been known to have explosive rants where things are not going his way.

“First of all I have to say, Isack lost more than 80 points through technical issues. To still keep motivated and keep the speed was already a big achievement,” said Marko.

“Isack is fast but he has to keep his emotions under control. One example is Monte Carlo, I forgot the driver who through the safety car all of a sudden was in front of him, and he was moaning and complaining and so on.

“The guy had cold tyres, he should have tried to attack him instead of being all over the place on the radio.

“So generally, focus on the important things, make less mistakes, like he had a spin at the test in Abu Dhabi and I think he had also a spin on the Friday outing.

“So be more consistent, but the speed and everything is here and the rest comes with routine.”

Is Isack Hadjar ready to make the step to F1?

Amid the speculation that Perez would be out of Red Bull for 2025 and that one of thee RB drivers would replace him, Franco Colapinto had been heavily linked with the team after impressing in his early races with Williams.

However, after the Argentine suffered multiple accidents in the final few races of the season, RB withdrew their interest in Colapinto as he had too many costly crashes to merit him joining Red Bull.

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull junior driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know

Hadjar is now the favourite to drive with RB next year and he will certainly be looking to take advantage of that chance and showcase his ability in the pinnacle of motorsport.

However, in the outings he has had in F1 machinery, the Frenchman has left something to be desired. Hadjar suffered a dismal debut outing on an F1 weekend at the British Grand Prix in Perez’s car in FP1.

At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 20-year-old spun at turn seven and was heard complaining over his radio about his legs hitting his steering wheel in the cockpit. Anthony Davidson said he expected more from Hadjar in Abu Dhabi as he failed to make the most of his chance with Red Bull.