It’s been a little over four years, since the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, that three French people have not started a Formula 1 race. This will be the case, barring a last minute surprise, during the Grand Prix from Australia, on March 16, because Isack Hadjar will join the grid alongside Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Esteban Ocon (Haas).
Racing Bulls has just announced the arrival of the Parisian as Yuki Tsunoda’s new teammate. A formalization which follows those, in the previous days, of the departure of Sergio Pérez from Red Bull and his replacement by Liam Lawson. The New Zealander’s promotion opened up a place in Red Bull’s sister team which went to Isack Hadjar, the highest placed candidate within the Red Bull Junior Team.
A brilliant season in F2, but no title
The 20-year-old young man has just completed his second season of Formula 2 in the cruel place of vice-champion, narrowly failing to win the title against the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, whom he will find on the F1 grid since he signed with Sauber. The disappointment of this final second place in any case did not weigh in the choice of the Red Bull managers, who appreciated the more than successful season of their young prodigy.
Hadjar, with great self-confidence, knew that he had to win and show himself to convince Helmut Marko. The Austrian octogenarian adores the Frenchman, whom he affectionately calls the “Little Prost” and who seduced him with his victory in Monaco while he was riding in FRECA in 2021. Since then, Hadjar has confirmed the talent seen by the electric blue eye of Helmut Marko and will discover F1 next season.
“I’m very excited to take on my new role within Racing Bulls, it’s huge for me, my family and everyone who has believed in me from the start.” savors Hadjar. “The journey from karting to single-seaters to today in Formula 1 is the moment I have worked for all my life, it is my dream. I feel like I am entering a whole new universe, to drive a much faster car and to race with the best drivers in the world It will be a huge learning curve, but I am ready to work hard and do my best for the team. looking forward to working with Yuki (Tsunoda) and learning from him, I’ve always admired him, he came through the Red Bull Junior program, like me, and we shared a similar path to F1. He’s very experienced and it will be good to have. learn from him.”
“We are excited to have Isack with us next year, who will bring a new dynamic to the team alongside Yuki in 2025.” rejoices Frenchman Laurent Mékiès, director of Racing Bulls. ‘His journey in Formula 1 has been nothing short of exceptional, showing remarkable growth, with a string of impressive results in the junior single-seater ranks. He has the talent and drive to compete at the highest level, and we are confident he will adapt quickly and make a significant impact. I think Isack and Yuki will make a great team. Yuki brings invaluable experience to the team, he has shown incredible resilience and maturity, which will be crucial to the team as we strive to achieve all of our goals and objectives in 2025.”
A quartet “made in Red Bull” in 2025
Isack Hadjar was also able to prove himself in Formula 1 by participating in four free practice sessions. In 2023, he was able to get into the world’s most successful racing car for the first time in Mexico, where he drove an AlphaTauri. “This is the happiest day of my life!” he exclaimed on the radio at the end of his hour of driving. He was able to do it again in Abu Dhabi, this time at the wheel of the Red Bull RB19, victorious in 21 of the 22 races in the hands of Sergio Pérez and especially Max Verstappen.
In 2024, Hadjar was able to replace the two Red Bull drivers in free practice. Sergio Pérez gave him his place in Great Britain, then Max Verstappen gave him the wheel of his RB20 during EL1 of the final game of the year in Abu Dhabi.
The tenure of Isack Hadjar proves once again that the Red Bull academy trains the best drivers in the world since there will be 7 from the talent nursery of Milton Keynes on the grid next season: Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson at Red Bull, Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon at Williams and Pierre Gasly at Alpine.
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In brief
The Frenchman will be on the Formula 1 grid in 2025 at Racing Bulls, who made him Yuki Tsunoda’s teammate. There will be three French people on the grid for the first time since 2020.
