Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane has revealed to Motorsport Week what attributes Isack Hadjar will bring to Red Bull after his “phenomenal” debut Formula 1 campaign.
The French-Algerian youngster caused a sensation in 2025, with a mature and impressive array of performances that saw him score 51 points, including a podium finish in Zandvoort.
Hadjar’s mix of speed and wisdom beyond his years saw him thrust into the likelihood of earning a promotion within the Red Bull family, with rumours rife as early as the summer.
Eventually, just days before the season finale in Abu Dhabi, the 20-year-old was confirmed to be partnering Max Verstappen at the Milton Keynes-based squad, replacing Yuki Tsunoda.
Hadjar’s fairytale debut season was made all the more impressive, after a formation lap crash in his first Grand Prix in Melbourne, which might have knocked the confidence of other drivers.
And Permane stated that his swift response to the crash, dubbed at the time by now-ex-Red Bull stalwart Helmut Marko as “embarrassing”, was perhaps even more stunning, due to the tough circuits that followed.
“Yeah, it’s been phenomenal,” he told Motorsport Week in an exclusive interview. “We’ve seen him after, of course, the disaster of Melbourne and the huge upset that caused him, he bounced back almost immediately for that.
“He had an incredibly strong race in Japan, just two races afterwards, I think. And honestly, it was a little bit under the radar, but for me, that was where his season really, really started and he performed incredibly and he really got to grips with the car and understood how to make the car work in a track like Suzuka, which is, of course, not an easy track and he felt how physical it was as well. And then he’s gone from strength to strength.”
Permane ‘very proud’ of Isack Hadjar promotion
Permane continued that such is Hadjar’s consistency, that he was always confident in the likelihood he would make it to the final part of qualifying, and whilst naturally disappointed to no longer have his services, is understandably full of pride at his driver’s progession to the main Red Bull team.
“We can almost be assured that he’s going to hit Q3 each weekend when we get things right and have a decent race,” he said.
So, yeah, we are, of course, sad to lose him, but at the same time very proud that he’s done a good enough job to move up to Red Bull.”
The full exclusive interview with Alan Permane will be available soon on MotorsportWeek.com
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