We were just waiting for Red Bull's little internal stories to close so that we could calmly look forward to 2025. Everything accelerated this week when Sergio Pérez, who has been Max Verstappen's teammate since 2021, was asked to leave his stealing from Liam Lawson for next year, leaving a free seat for Frenchman Isack Hadjar alongside Japanese Yuki Tsunoda.
Vice-champion of F2 after not being able to really defend his title chances due to a stall linked to “a software defect” according to Christian Horner, the Habs will indeed become the third French driver on the grid, joining Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, in what will be the second national contingent behind the English.
Faster than Yuki in Abu Dhabi
Asked to comment on Hadjar's tenure in F1, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner made a rather surprising confession regarding the end-of-season tests, in which the Ile-de-France native took part at the wheel of the Red Bull alongside Yuki Tsunoda, which he will find in Faenza. The Briton indeed praised Isack's work, ensuring that he was a “raw talent in need of polishing” et “having speed” necessary for the high level.
He especially took the opportunity to mention that he had been faster than Yuki in Abu Dhabi, during the end of season tests. The team principal seems to have ambition for their new protégé, based on what they have seen in Formula 2. “He was unlucky in the last race with the technical incident he suffered, but he impressed. Particularly by its speed. It will be interesting to see how things develop for him.”
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