Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer has described Isack Hadjar as "incredible", and revealed that discussions over driver lineups within the Red Bull family for 2026 will start after the summer.
Hadjar has been a star of the current F1 campaign, following on from missing out on the Formula 2 title to Gabriel Bortoleto last season.
Initial expectations were low for the French-Algerian, especially after he crashed on the formation lap ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
However, since that setback, he has been a regular in Q3 and scored consistent points, making him a serious contender to replace Yuki Tsunoda next season.
Hadjar has been the second-best Red Bull family driver this year, with many having called for him to be promoted before the end of the year.
That looks unlikely, with Bayer having revealed that the Red Bull organisation is eager for a period of calmness before making driver decisions for next season.
When asked about his putting Hadjar "in handcuffs" to keep him in the sister team comment, Bayer comically told PlanetF1: "I was joking, honestly!"
"We have strong alignment internally that we need to go through this year calmly, with everyone focusing on their jobs.
"I’m sure that, post-summer break, discussions will start about 2026, but honestly, I dare to say that in ’25, we all want to keep it calm and, talking about Isack, give him the chance to grow, to learn.
"Honestly, he is incredible."
Viewed by others:
Hadjar 'growing'
Hadjar's progression has caught many by surprise this season, given he entered F1 having never won a junior single-seater category.
He has left the likes of Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko very impressed, and has been backed by Bayer to achieve great things in the future.
"For me, it’s as simple as that – his capacity of driving," Bayer added, discussing Hadjar's progression this year.
"Honestly, I think we’ll see great things from him. His mind is just working, asking, growing.
"Isack is a great kid. He’s great, but he needs this year with us, and everybody agrees that’s what we should do."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they reflect on the first 14 rounds in this F1 summer break special! Red Bull's early driver change is looked back on, whilst calls from Bernie Ecclestone for Lewis Hamilton to retire are discussed.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Explore the latest F1 results and every stat you can imagine - From Max Verstappen to Michael Schumacher and from Ayrton Senna to Lewis Hamilton — explore every stat from the first Grand Prix to the latest race.
Explore the RN365 Stats HubMost read
In this article
Join the conversation!