RB signing Isack Hadjar once predicted that Lando Norris would be destroyed by ‘terrifying’ driver

Isack Hadjar has completed the grid for the 2025 Formula 1 season as he signs with Visa Cash App RB.

The Frenchman will race with the Faenza-based outfit for 2025 and comes into F1 off the back of finishing second in the Formula 2 Championship this season. Hadjar lost the title to Gabriel Bortoleto in heartbreaking fashion as he suffered a mechanical issue in the Feature Race in Abu Dhabi.

The Red Bull junior has been afforded his chance in F1 due to the departure of Sergio Perez. The Mexican confirmed his exit from the team on Wednesday after four seasons.

RB drivers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda were the frontrunners to replace Perez, with Red Bull ultimately deciding on the former. Despite Tsunoda having more experience in F1 and outqualifying his teammate 6-0 in 2024, Christian Horner says Lawson demonstrated ‘the right mindset’ for Red Bull in a short space of time.

Lawson’s promotion opened the door at RB, which Hadjar has officially taken for 2025 as he lines up next to Tsunoda.

Isack Hadjar predicted Lando Norris to be destroyed by ‘terrifying’ Oscar Piastri at McLaren in his debut season

Hadjar becomes the sixth rookie on the grid for 2025 and the fourth to join F1 from F2 this year, following Bortoleto, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman.

Over the years, F2 drivers have made mixed success when coming up to the pinnacle of motorsport. Some go on to thrive and become multiple race winners such as Charles Leclerc and George Russell, while others struggle to make an impact and find themselves out of the sport quicker than they arrived such as Nikita Mazepin and Logan Sargeant.

READ MORE: Who is Visa Cash App RB driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know

McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri came through F2 to reach F1, and before the latter made his debut in 2023, Hadjar predicted that Piastir would ‘destroy’ Norris at the Woking-based outfit.

Speaking on the Track Limits Podcast before the 2023 season, he said: “Oscar Piastri, he’s going to destroy Lando Norris I think, he’ll destroy him. Lando is so, so good but I think what Oscar did in Formula 3 and Formula 2 is just insane and he’s obviously going to do great.

“But I think if he beats Lando in his first season, it’s just terrifying.”

While Piastri has gone on to have success in F1, Hadjar’s prediction was ultimately not on the money. Piastri finished ninth in his rookie season with two podiums and a Sprint race win in Qatar, while Norris finished sixth with seven podiums and 108 points ahead of the Aussie.

In 2024, Piastri achieved his first two wins in F1 and finished fourth in the standings, but Norris again outperformed him as he grabbed four wins, eight pole positions and was runner-up to Max Verstappen in the championship.

Can Isack Hadjar perform at RB in 2025?

Naturally, being a part of the Red Bull setup brings an immense amount of pressure for their drivers to perform due to their notorious ways of brutally axing them. With Hadjar only contracted for 2025, he will want to avoid that fate.

The issue for the Frenchman is that his previous outings in F1 have not been as expected. He suffered a dismal debut in FP1 at Silverstone and he spun during his outing in Abu Dhabi and then again in the post-season test with Red Bull.

Furthermore, he will be up against Tsunoda, who is well-established with RB and outqualified both Daniel Ricciardo and Lawson in 2024.

The 20-year-old will need to bring the form he showed in F2 into F1, but leave his explosive radio messages behind to maximise his focus. Helmut Marko says Hadjar must control his emotions ahead of his F1 debut, as his speed is clear to see.