Racing Bulls announced that Formula 2 Championship runner-up Isack Hadjar will complete their driver line-up for the 2025 season.
After months of speculation and rumors, Red Bull has confirmed that Sergio Perez will not return for the 2025 season. The Mexican driver will be replaced by Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson.
The move allows Isack Hadjar to fill the Racing Bulls seat vacated by Lawson.
The 20-year-old has been a Red Bull junior since 2022 and has had the opportunity to drive for Red Bull on several occasions. His most recent outing was in Abu Dhabi, where he took over driving duties from Max Verstappen during the first practice session (FP1).
Hadar makes Single-Seater debut
Hadjar made his single-seater debut in 2019, racing for the FFSA Academy in the French F4 Championship. That year, he finished 7th in the overall standings. Continuing with the FFSA Academy for the 2020 season, he achieved a remarkable third place in the standings, securing 3 wins and 11 podium finishes.
In 2021, the French driver competed in the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA), finishing fifth overall. Additionally, he raced for Evans GP in the F3 Asian Championship, concluding the season in sixth place in the standings.
Hadjar joins Red Bull Junior Team
The same year, Red Bull announced that Hadjar would join the Red Bull Junior Team in 2022. In January 2022, it was announced that he would compete with Hitech GP in Formula 3.
Hadjar concluded his Formula 3 season in fourth place, securing 3 wins and 5 podium finishes. He also participated in the Formula Regional Asian Championships, where he achieved a third-place finish.
For the 2023 season, Hadjar was promoted to Formula 2, where he raced again for Hitech GP. He completed his debut season in F2 in 14th place in the drivers’ championship, which was a disappointing result for the young Frenchman. His highest finish was third place during the Austrian sprint race.
Hadjar competed for Campos Racing in his second season of Formula 2. He had a successful campaign, securing four wins and eight podium finishes. The title battle against Invicta’s Gabriel Bortoletto extended to the final race in Abu Dhabi.
Unfortunately, Hadjar stalled on the grid at the start of the feature race in Abu Dhabi and had to give up on his Championship hopes.
Hadjar about joining Racing Bulls
Regarding his upcoming F1 debut as the main driver for Racing Bulls, Hadjar stated:
“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.
“The journey from karting through the ranks in single-seaters, to now being in Formula 1 is the moment I’ve 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.”
Mekies on Hadjar
Racing Bulls Team Principal Laurent Mekies about Hadjar joining the team:
“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 Formula 1 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 Isack 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.”
Peter Bayer about Hadjar
Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer added:
“Firstly, we must congratulate Liam for his step up to Red Bull Racing. As a sister team and as an incubator for Formula 1 talent, our strategic objective is to foster and nurture our drivers in preparation for this next step.
“With his move and by bringing Isack 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 programme.
“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.”
