Isack Hadjar has completed the 2025 Formula 1 grid after he signed with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls for next season.
The Frenchman has been afforded his chance in F1 after Red Bull parted ways with Sergio Perez. The Mexican has been replaced by Liam Lawson, thus opening a seat for Hadjar to take his place at Racing Bulls in 2025.
The 20-year-old joined the Red Bull junior team in 2022, the same year he finished fourth in the Formula 3 Championship. The following year, he made the step up to Formula 2 and finished 14th in the standings with one podium.
With Red Bull’s notorious nature of brutally showing their drivers the door, Hadjar faced pressure to find a new level in 2024. But the Frenchman certainly delivered as he grabbed four wins – the most of any other driver – and eight podiums to finish runner-up in the championship.
Hadjar had been in contention up until the final round in Abu Dhabi, but he suffered a mechanical issue at the start of the Feature Race and ultimately lost the title to Gabriel Bortoleto.
Despite the heartbreaking defeat, the 20-year-old showed his ability throughout the season, and it was enough for Red Bull to take notice and promote him to Racing Bulls for 2025.
Isack Hadjar wanted to wave at Lewis Hamilton during his FP1 appearance in F1 in 2023
Hadjar will be one of the youngest drivers on the grid in 2025 at 20, and he will get the chance to race against some veterans of the sport, including Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton is Hadjar’s idol and inspiration for him making it to F1, and the Frenchman will no doubt be incredibly excited to share the grid with the sport’s most successful driver.
Technically, the pair already have as Hadjar has made several appearances in FP1 sessions over the last two years. And on his debut with AlphaTauri at the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix, the Frenchman shared a wholesome moment with his favourite driver.
READ MORE: Who is Visa Cash App RB driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know
Coming down the main straight on a cooldown lap, Hadjar was left in awe at getting his first chance in an F1 car: “Yeah, best day of my life mate! That was incredible, thank you,” he said over the radio.
His race engineer then told him Hamilton was four seconds behind on track, to which the Frenchman asked: “Is he pushing?” When he replied no, Hadjar said: “Ok, I want to wave at Lewis!”
After the session, Hadjar spoke with Canal+ about his experience: “Yeah it was crazy! Already the first lap out of the pits it was going too fast! Honestly I got used to it quite quickly but I couldn’t push like I wanted to, I was a bit far from the limit. but I still think I did a good job for a first time. No I’m happy. it was cool.”
Can Isack Hadjar compete against Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls in 2025?
Hadjar will be up against strong competition in 2025 at Racing Bulls with Yuki Tsunoda as his teammate. The Japanese driver was snubbed of the second Red Bull seat, with the team opting to promote Lawson.
Tsunoda is well-established with the Racing Bulls setup having driven with the team since 2021 and he found a new level in 2024. The 24-year-old outperformed Daniel Ricciardo and got the upper hand over Lawson this season as he recorded the best finish of his career with 12th in the standings.
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With Hadjar only signing a one-year deal with Racing Bulls, his future in F1 will depend on the comparison against his teammate. One similarity between the two is their tendency to send explosive radio messages – something Helmut Marko says Hadjar must control ahead of his debut.
One journalist says Hadjar will ‘blow the minds’ of F1 fans with such messages, and the Frenchman will need to cut these out and focus on the job at hand as he gets his chance at the pinnacle of motorsport.
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