Written by Meghana Sree
Isack Hadjar, the French-Algerian driver who recently completed his second season of Formula 2, will be taking up the vacant seat at the RB team alongside Yuki Tsunoda for 2025.
Isack Hadjar will race with RB in the upcoming season | Image Credit - Formula 2
In yet another shakeup within the Red Bull driver family, this news follows the announcement of Liam Lawson replacing Sergio Pérez at Red Bull Racing.
Reacting to the news, 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 One is the moment I’ve been 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.”
Having been part of the Red Bull Junior Team since 2022, the 20-year-old was tipped as the frontrunner to step up to Formula One in the RB outfit. Probabilities became even more likely given Sergio Pérez’s declining form, and the Mexican driver’s recently announced exit from Red Bull Racing all but confirmed Hadjar’s future in Formula One.
Remarking on his jump to Formula One, RB Team Principal Laurent Mekies shared: “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.”
CEO Peter Bayer added: "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."
Finishing the 2024 F2 season as the runner-up, behind the newly Formula One-promoted Gabriel Bortoleto — after an incredibly unlucky final race at Abu Dhabi —, Hadjar will become the sixth rookie with a full-time season to join 2025’s grid.
After an impressive junior career, including successful campaigns in the French Formula 4 Championship, FRECA (Formula Regional European Championship), and Formula 3, Hadjar joined F2 with Hitech GP in 2023.
For his 2024 season, he partnered with Campos Racing, going on to win four races with eight podium finishes. A championship-contender throughout the season, Hadjar demonstrated his ability to fight for top positions consistently in 2024.
Image Credit - Formula 2
With multiple Free Practice sessions and through his experience as a reserve driver for the Red Bull sister teams under his belt, Hadjar has had plenty of time to get up to speed with the nuances of Formula One cars.
His move to RB completes the grid for 2025, and it will certainly be thrilling to witness how Hadjar compares to the other rookies, and indeed to his teammate as well, next season.