Isack Hadjar has been something of a Formula 1 revelation in 2025 and has been the most impressive of all the full-time rookies.
The Frenchman was promoted to Racing Bulls over the winter in the hope that he might just be quick enough to do a job for the Faenza-based outfit in 2025, hence why he signed a one-year deal.
But, Hadjar has gone above and beyond the call of duty, and has scored more points than both of his teammates this year combined (15 vs Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda’s 14).
He even finds himself in the top 10 of the drivers’ championship, which is super impressive for someone clearly in a midfield machine.
Hadjar’s private Monaco admission shows how ‘special’ he is, after he secured a career-best finish around the streets of Monte Carlo despite losing confidence with a crash in practice.
In fact, 2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button believes Hadjar has ‘trounced’ Lawson at Racing Bulls and has been impressed by the 20-year-old.
READ MORE: Helmut Marko criticises Isack Hadjar for showing ‘a lack of intelligence’ after what he heard at the Monaco Grand Prix
Isack Hadjar reveals the ‘strange’ meeting he had with Helmut Marko before signing for Red Bull
Red Bull’s approach to young talent is notoriously brutal, but sometimes it pays off in magnificent fashion (Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel).
One of the main cogs in their junior operations for nearly 20 years has been advisor Helmut Marko, who played a pivotal role in signing Hadjar back in 2021.
The youngster revealed to Motorsport.com how the ‘strange’ interaction went down before officially signing his deal with them.
“We had just walked in when my trainer said he got a call: ‘Helmut Marko wants to meet you.’ I told him to get lost – I thought he was joking,” he said. “But he kept insisting, and I realised it was serious. I asked, ‘OK, when?’ and he said, ‘Now!’
“Unable to find a taxi, they ran on foot to Marko’s hotel. “We arrived completely soaked in sweat. Helmut was standing in the lobby. We sat down, and it was all very simple. He looked at me and said, ‘I’ll send you a contract. That’s it.’ At the time it felt strange, but I later understood – that’s how it works.”
Is Isack Hadjar a contender for a Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen in the future?
With his lightning-fast start to the campaign, Hadjar’s performances have turned eyes in the paddock and they will have done so at Red Bull too.
They still cannot seem to lock down a reliable and fast second driver who is able to back up Max Verstappen’s title efforts.
Hadjar is a candidate to replace Tsunoda, but there’s a good chance that he would have to wait until the end of the season for that.
Heading into the 2026 F1 regulations at a front-running team would still be exciting for him, given that he was one of the last confirmed drivers for this season, as his employer debated whether to promote him from Formula 2.
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