At just 20 years old Isack Hadjar has completed all there is to complete in the world of junior formula racing. Now it is time for him to make the leap to Formula 1 in 2025 with Racing Bulls.
“The journey from karting through the ranks in single-seaters, to now being in Formula 1 is the moment I’ve worked towards my whole life – it is the dream.”
Hadjar’s Junior Career
Born into a family of doctors and physicians with a French-Algerian background, racing was not something Hadjar’s family influenced him to pursue. While many drivers received their first go-karts before they could walk, Hadjar received his later. Hadjar’s parents gifted him his first after he fell in love with the movie ‘Cars’ and began watching F1 at seven. From then on it was a love affair that would never leave him.
He started competitive karting in 2012 and eventually entered the international championships in 2017. Only two years later, he began his single-seater formula racing journey. He competed in the French F4 Championship, where his height caused discomfort due to an inability to properly reach the pedals. However, he managed to secure a respectable seventh-place finish in the standings that year.
The following year, he participated in the F4 UAE Championship with 3Y Technology, finishing 11th. He also made a comeback in the 2020 French F4 Championship, securing 3rd place with FFSA Academy.
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In 2021, Hadjar made his mark as an up-and-coming driver when he finished fifth in the Formula Regional European Championship in his rookie season. His impressive season caught Red Bull’s attention, and they announced him as one of their junior drivers starting in 2022. He also showcased his potential in the F3 Asian Championship, finishing sixth despite competing in only three rounds.
His 2022 season was a turning point, as he raced in Formula Regional Asia, finishing third with two wins, and FIA Formula 3 with Hitech GP. With Hitech, he claimed multiple race wins, culminating in a fourth-place overall finish with several poles and victories to his name.
Hadjar in F2 & F3
Building on his momentum, Hadjar participated in the FIA Formula 2 post-season test in 2022, which paved the way for his full-time debut with Hitech in 2023. However, the season proved challenging, with penalties and crashes contributing to a 14th-place finish in the standings.
In 2024, after joining Campos Racing, he delivered a stellar performance that saw him finish as runner-up to Gabriel Bortoleto. Across the season, Hadjar secured four wins, eight podiums, one pole position, one fastest lap, and 192 points. His remarkable success earned him the nickname “Le Petit Prost”, with Le Parisien drawing comparisons to legendary driver Alain Prost.
Hadjar in the Red Bull Junior Program
Isack Hadjar joined the Red Bull Junior Team in 2022. In 2023, he made his Formula 1 Free Practice debut at the Mexican Grand Prix, finishing 17th, the second-highest among the five rookies. Red Bull recognized his talent and promoted him to reserve driver for the second half of the 2024 season. He replaced Liam Lawson after the kiwi stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo at Austin.
Hadjar also took part in free practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the postseason rookie test. His performance, which outpaced future teammate Yuki Tsunoda, earned praise from Christian Horner. On December 20th, 2024, Red Bull confirmed Hadjar as a Racing Bull driver for 2025.
While it is a big step up from Formula 2, Isack Hadjar believes he is ready to take on the challenge.
“It’ll be a huge learning curve, but I’m ready to work hard and do the best I can for the team.”
Red Bull Junior Unlucky History
Although you may not see Hadjar challenging for race wins in 2025, there is a lot of pressure on him. In the last ten years, Red Bull has tossed aside many promising drivers mid-season. For Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, their careers as Red Bull drivers did not turn out as they anticipated.
After 12 races with Toro Rosso, Albon was promoted to Red Bull, replacing Pierre Gasly as Max Verstappen’s partner. Luckily, Gasly still had a seat at Toro Rosso and eventually went on to win the 2020 Italian Grand Prix. Unfortunately, for Albon, he was replaced by Sergio Perez and was left without a seat for 2021.
In recent years, Nyck De Vries was dropped in his rookie season for Alpha Tauri after replacing Pierre Gasly when he moved to Alpine in 2023. De Vries earned a chance at Red Bull’s junior team after making an impressive debut for Williams the previous year when Alex Albon was sidelined with appendicitis. Despite being a Formula E champion in 2021 and an F2 champion like many other drivers on the grid, De Vries completed only ten races before Red Bull replaced him with Daniel Ricciardo. And as we all saw in 2024, Daniel Ricciardo was booted from the team and replaced by Liam Lawson mid-season.
2025?
As much as it is clear that Hadjar has the junior formula credentials, there will be a lot of pressure on him to perform. He will be fighting to prove himself alongside Yuki Tsunoda who will be putting in the maximum effort to prove to Red Bull why he should’ve been given the Red Bull seat for 2025 over Liam Lawson.
So I wish Isack Hadjar all the best for 2025 and look forward to seeing what he will do in his rookie season as an F1 driver.
Featured Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
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