Racing Bulls Team Principal Laurent Mekies revealed “it was easy” promoting Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar to Formula 1.
Hadjar was the final piece in the Red Bull puzzle when the Milton Keynes-based outfit parted ways with Sergio Perez shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 F1 campaign.
Red Bull then promoted Liam Lawson to partner Max Verstappen for 2025 with the final question remaining, who would sit alongside Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls?
That decision was made swiftly, and in the space of a few days shortly into the off-season, Red Bull’s driver line-up across its two teams was completed by 2024 Formula 2 vice-champion Hadjar.
Speaking to select media including Motorsport Week ahead of F1 75, Mekies revealed that Hadjar was a “natural” choice given he was next in line from the Red Bull junior programme.
“I think it was the most natural part of the process was to get Isack in,” the Racing Bulls boss said.
“He was very clearly the next one in line in terms of the Red Bull Young Drivers programme, and there has never been a question on who is going to take that seat next, if that seat becomes available.
“So we were following him for quite a while already, and then we got a bit of time together in the final race of the season, and the decisions came pretty much… You knew about it pretty much at the same time as it was made, but it was an easy one.”
Hadjar: ‘My goal is to be F1 champion’
For Hadjar, the process of finding out he’d be a Racing Bulls F1 driver wasn’t as plain sailing as it was for his new team bosses.
Amid an F2 title fight, Hadjar was left waiting and wondering if and when the call would come, admitting it wasn’t easy being kept in the dark.
“No, it was not that easy,” Hadjar said of waiting for the call.
“I officially found out after Abu Dhabi to be fair.
“When I stepped up to reserve, I was just focused on trying to win that F2 title and learn in this new environment.”
Hadjar’s F2 title challenge came to an agonising end in the final round, stalling at the start of the climatic race, ceding the title to Gabriel Bortoleto.
The Frenchman has gotten over that heartbreak quickly, with greater goals ahead of him.
“Yeah, my goal is not to be an F2 champion, it’s to be an F1 world champion, so I’m fine,” he defiantly claimed.
READ MORE – Isack Hadjar sets sights on beating Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls
