Isack Hadjar struggled to hide where his F1 future lies at media day for the Mexico City Grand Prix, laughing in response to being asked if he already knows who he will race for in 2026.
The Frenchman will stay with the Red Bull family, that much is known, but it has yet to be announced whether he will be promoted to the seat alongside Max Verstappen, or if he will remain at Racing Bulls.
Helmut Marko has claimed a final decision will be made following this weekend's round at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, but Hadjar's playful exchange with RacingNews365 suggests he already knows.
When asked if he knows his future, but he cannot confirm it, the 21-year-old let out a loud laugh, to which the response was: "There we go, there's the answer," with the implication being Hadjar would move up to Red Bull.
The one-time podium finisher replied: "Nah, you're too smart, you know," in a jovial tone.
Hadjar did, however, quash the suggestion he could move up to the Milton Keynes-based squad before the end of the current campaign.
When the idea was put to him, he said: "So unlikely now. That would mean I would have just about two more races with the team [Red Bull], and that's just not gonna happen.
"I'm also so happy with the team I'm with right now, and for them, I also need to bring the sixth place [in the constructors' championship] home."
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'Annoying noise'
Given the considerable speculation that has surrounded him for much of his debut season in F1, Hadjar insists he would rather everything wait until the close of the championship.
He stands to replace Yuki Tsunoda, with the Japanese driver, along with Liam Lawson, at risk of losing his F1 seat altogether as F2 driver and Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad waits in the wings.
"Actually, I'd like to know at the end of the year," Hadjar explained. "It's more annoying than anything, the noise. So five races to keep pushing."
When it was questioned whether it would be a case of knowing his future soon, but the announcement being held until after the year-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hadjar took the opportunity for another joke.
"I will definitely know before it's announced. Otherwise, there's a problem," he quipped, before addressing the essence of the question.
"In an ideal world, I'd like everyone to wait for the end of the year before asking me questions," he added.
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