Isack Hadjar, the French racing talent, has his sights set on the coveted Red Bull F1 seat, despite witnessing the turmoil experienced by recent successors in the role alongside Max Verstappen.
Hadjar’s ambitions remain undeterred by the struggles of Red Bull’s previous second seat occupants. The French driver, who has grown through the ranks of the Racing Bulls squad, is eager to seize the opportunity to join the senior Red Bull F1 team. He articulates a desire to uncover the challenges faced by his predecessors, stating, “Honestly, it seems like it’s really hard to be next to Max. It makes me want to go even more, to find out why, you know, what’s going on.”
The path to Red Bull is well-trodden within the Racing Bulls team, most recently by Liam Lawson, who earned a promotion to partner Verstappen. However, Lawson struggled significantly, finding himself demoted back to a sister team for his mental well-being after some tough races. Yuki Tsunoda then took the seat, though his initial performance faltered as he fell into the lower midfield, outqualified by both Lawson and Hadjar. Despite this, Hadjar’s determination is unwavering, as the prospect of racing alongside Verstappen remains his ultimate target.
Recently, Hadjar has shown impressive resilience in his racing career. After a setback in Australia, where he crashed during the formation lap, he bounced back with an 11th-place finish in China. His perseverance paid off in Japan, where he not only scored his first points with an eighth-place finish but also outqualified renowned driver Lewis Hamilton. This achievement has bolstered his confidence, though he acknowledges, “Yeah, but it’s not like I don’t need to work. I always put the pressure on me to keep delivering. Now, the expectations from people are maybe a bit higher, but I keep doing what I do.”
Beyond his performances on track, Hadjar feels a sense of familiarity with his current environment, having been involved with the F1 scene since 2023. His experiences as a reserve and his time in the simulator have equipped him with an understanding of the processes involved, as he explains, “My first running in F1 was in 2023 already, so I had, like, a first taste. I’ve been in the sim for two years now. My mileage was not excessive, that’s for sure, but I’ve been around the team as a reserve as well.”
While Hadjar’s eyes are set on the Red Bull seat, he remains focused on his current objectives. Scoring points and maximizing results is his immediate goal, as he said, “Like I said before the season, my target would be… if the car can finish in P9 or P8, I want to be there, maximizing it and not being outside the top 10.” His realistic approach amid ambitious goals highlights his commitment to progress.
Isack Hadjar’s determination to advance to the Red Bull team is evident. His ability to recover from setbacks and his familiarity with the team dynamics position him as a promising candidate for future success, despite the challenges that lie ahead.
