Red Bull junior driver Isack Hadjar has been promoted to the Racing Bulls Formula 1 outfit for the 2025 season to partner Yuki Tsunoda.
Hadjar’s promotion comes after a series of chess moves made by Red Bull.
Red Bull announced Sergio Perez was stepping away from the team on Wednesday and Thursday revealed Liam Lawson would move from Racing Bulls to race alongside Max Verstappen next season.
With Tsunoda remaining at Racing Bulls, Hadjar was revealed as the final piece in the Faenza puzzle on Friday.
“I’m very excited to step into my new role at VCARB, this is huge for myself, my family and all the people who have believed in me from the beginning,” Hadjar said.
“The journey from karting through the ranks in single-seaters, to now being in Formula 1 is the moment I’ve been working towards my whole life, it is the dream.
“I feel like I’m stepping into a whole new universe, driving a much faster car and racing with the best drivers in the world.
“It’ll be a huge learning curve, but I’m ready to work hard and do the best I can for the team.
“I look forward to working with and learning from Yuki, I’ve always looked up to him, he went through the Red Bull Junior Programme, like myself, and we’ve shared a similar path to F1.
“He’s very experienced and will be good to learn from.”
Racing Bulls leaders excited by ‘great team’ with Tsunoda and Hadjar
Racing Bulls Team Principal Laurent Mekies and CEO Peter Bayer welcomed the news of Hadjar’s arrival to the team with gusto.
Both men feel that the rookie will complement a perfect partnership with the incumbent Tsunoda as Racing Bulls embarks on the 2025 campaign.
Mekies said: “We’re excited to have Isack with us next year, bringing a new and fresh dynamic to the team alongside Yuki in 2025.
“His journey to F1 has been nothing short of outstanding, he has shown remarkable growth, with a series of impressive results in the junior single-seater ranks.
“He has the talent and drive necessary to compete at the highest level, and we have every confidence that he will adapt quickly and make a significant impact.
“I believe lsack and Yuki will make a great team.
“Yuki brings invaluable experience to the team, he’s shown incredible resilience and maturity, which will be crucial for the team as we strive to hit all our aims and objectives in 2025.”
Amid welcoming Hadjar to the team, Bayer made sure to praise Lawson on his Red Bull promotion, saying, ”Firstly, we must congratulate Liam for his step up to Oracle Red Bull Racing.
“As a sister team and as an incubator for F1 talent, our strategic objective is to foster and nurture our drivers in preparation for this next step,” he added.
“With this move and by bringing lsack into VCARB, it’s a testament to our longstanding commitment to develop the best young drivers in motorsport, as well as proof of concept of the Red Bull Junior Program.
“Having a younger driver supports our mission to speak to a younger audience, so we look forward to bringing new and existing fans on the journey with us.”
Hadjar, 20, steps up to F1 after finishing as vice-champion in the 2024 FIA Formula 2 campaign.
The Frenchman saw his title challenge come to a heartbreaking end at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, whereby his Red Bull-liveried Campos machine stalled at lights out in the final race of the season.
Still, Friday’s news that he is set to embark on an F1 career undoubtedly makes that loss a now-distant memory.
READ MORE – Red Bull admits choosing Liam Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda was a ‘tight’ call
