Isack Hadjar has revealed the emotional story of how he and his parents reacted to the first Red Bull contract he received back in 2021.
Hadjar officially became a Red Bull junior driver at the start of 2022, although conversations with its former advisor Helmut Marko began the year prior.
The 21-year-old has progressed through the Red Bull system to its F1 team, where he has settled in quickly alongside Max Verstappen.
Following the opening three rounds, Hadjar has proven he can get close to the four-time world champion — something most of his predecessors never achieved.
It has not been an easy journey for Hadjar from his junior career to a seat at Red Bull, with him still remembering, as if it were yesterday, how he and his parents felt when the first offer was put on the table.
Asked how his parents reacted to being signed as a Red Bull junior, Hadjar told F1: "It was a time in my career when I was uncertain. I had no clear trajectory — what I was going to do.
"Even financing the whole year was difficult, so we didn't even know if we could finish the year. It was awkward.
"So to get that relief after Red Bull signed me — it was something that they took a while to accept. Even when I had, like, the Red Bull helmet and the colours, I couldn't really believe it."
Viewed by others:
The first Marko meeting
Conversations with Red Bull started for Hadjar immediately after he claimed victory in the 2021 Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) race in Monaco.
On the same day he won in Monaco, he had his first meeting with Marko. The Austrian took a "very straightforward" approach with Hadjar, something that left him impressed.
Discussing who he spoke with at Red Bull, Hadjar explained: "Helmut — straight away, the day I won in Monaco in FRECA — I had a meeting with him that same evening, and I was obviously very impressed.
"For me, Formula 1 was never unachievable — that’s always what I wanted to do — but it still is the pinnacle. And to meet these people for real, having a chat with him, he was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to send you a contract. You sign or you don’t sign, okay?’
"It was very straightforward. It was very impressive, but above all, it was a relief."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they look ahead to this weekend's Miami Grand Prix — the return of F1 after a long break! The trio discuss F1's return and, crucially, the rule changes being introduced by the FIA.
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!