Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar has set himself a potent target for his maiden Formula 1 campaign: beating team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
Hadjar, a product of the Red Bull junior programme, graduates to the Faenza-based Racing Bulls F1 squad having finished second in the 2024 Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship.
The 20-year-old takes the place of Liam Lawson who has filled the seat vacated by Sergio Perez in the senior Red Bull outfit.
Jumping out of the spec F2-series into the bespoke world of F1 means Hadjar can only realistically measure himself against the one man in the same machinery, Tsunoda.
Tsunoda is set to enter his fifth season in F1, all with the same team and the Japanese driver has thwarted former team-mates Nick de Vries, Daniel Ricciardo and, arguably, Lawson along the way.
“I know that my experience in F1 is limited,” Tsunoda told Canal Plus France.
“There is a very high level on the grid. In the end, I know myself. I know that when I get in the car, I will want to beat Tsunoda.
“That’s the only real thing, especially in this category where we don’t all have the same car. It’s the only real objective I have in concrete terms.”
Hadjar seeking to emulate Tsunoda’s F1 journey
Hadjar, like Tsunoda in his younger years, is characterised as a passionate racing driver, who often voices his displeasure on the radio.
That’s a trait that Tsunoda has worked hard to diminish and Red Bull Advisor Helmut Marko has cited Hadjar’s radio outbursts as something that needs to be stamped out.
Hadjar is aware this is an area he ought to improve upon.
“Entering a world like this is a bit scary, but I will keep my desire to succeed, to win and I also want to channel my emotions,” he said.
“I know which team I’m in. I know they don’t like the radio button too much.
“The fact that I have trouble visualising this shows how special this adventure is for me. To be honest, I’m scared,” he concluded.
Despite his desire to beat Tsunoda, Hadjar has also spoken of his admiration for the man on the other side of the Racing Bulls garage.
In his statement following his F1 promotion, Hadjar was quoted saying: “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.”
READ MORE – Racing Bulls: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar have points to prove in F1 2025
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