Isack Hadjar Reveals Theory On Red Bull F1 Promotion As Speculation Grows

Isack Hadjar's rookie Formula 1 season hit a new high at the Dutch Grand Prix as he took his maiden podium.

The Frenchman finished third behind race winner Oscar Piastri and four-time world champion Max Verstappen after a stellar performance across Saturday and Sunday at Zandvoort.

That has reignited speculation that Racing Bulls driver Hadjar could be in line to replace Yuki Tsunoda at the parent Red Bull squad and try to put an end to the team's second-driver struggles.

The Red Bull curse

Isack Hadja — David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Red Bull has struggled to find a suitable driver to sit beside Verstappen and perform to a comparable level. This season, the Dutchman has scored 205 of the team's 214 points with Tsunoda's top 10 in the Netherlands his only points finish since Imola.

Hadjar would be the third teammate for Verstappen this season after Tsunoda replaced Liam Lawson ahead of the third race in Japan, but has consistently played down the need to make a step up before the end of the year, insisting he was happy to complete his F1 education with Racing Bulls.

But with former team principal Laurent Mekies taking the same position at Red Bull in place of Christian Horner, and Hadjar now becoming the second Red Bull-affiliated driver to stand on the podium this season after Verstappen, the landscape has changed.

In an interview with Sky Sports F1 on Sunday, Hadjar insisted he was "ready for anything," a marked shift in tone.

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— Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team (@visacashapprb) September 4, 2025

But ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, as per RacingNews365, Hadjar insisted there was no rush to make the step.

"At the start of the year, [people] were asking me if I was feeling ready to jump in the Red Bull this year, and the answer is still 'no', because I don't see the point of doing that right now."

Instead suggesting that a move next season is a "different question" when F1 will usher in a new set of technical regulations, Hadjar added: "It's a brand new start for the team. There won't be this talk of the second car, this wouldn't be a thing, because it's a brand new car for everyone.

"So you will be in a phase where you need to direct the car in the right direction. So, no, I think this is actually interesting."

Hadjar joined the F1 grid this season after finishing second to now-Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto in the 2024 F2 championship.

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