Racing Bulls hail 'remarkable' Hadjar as F1 promotion announced

Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies has hailed new F1 driver Isack Hadjar for his "remarkable" growth as a Red Bull junior.

French-Algerian racer Hadjar will make his F1 debut in 2025 at Racing Bulls, replacing Red Bull-bound Liam Lawson and will partner Yuki Tsunoda as one of six rookies on the grid. 

Hadjar narrowly missed out on entering F1 as the reigning F2 champion, being defeated by a follow 2025 rookie in Gabriel Bortoleto in the Abu Dhabi finale, but steps up after having banked four wins and eight podiums with the Campos Racing squad.

Hadjar becomes the latest Red Bull junior to be promoted to F1, with Mekies sure he will make a "significant impact."

"We’re excited to have Isack with us next year, bringing a new and fresh dynamic to the team alongside Yuki in 2025," said Mekies.

"His journey to Formula 1 has been nothing short of outstanding, he has shown remarkable growth, with a series of impressive results in the junior single-seater ranks.

"He has the talent and drive necessary to compete at the highest level, and we have every confidence that he will adapt quickly and make a significant impact.

"I believe Isack and Yuki will make a great team. Yuki brings invaluable experience to the team, he’s shown incredible resilience and maturity, which will be crucial for the team as we strive to hit all our aims and objectives in 2025.”

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The Red Bull conveyor belt

Hadjar is the 17th driver from the famed Red Bull junior programme to drive for either Red Bull or the junior team through its Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri and Racing Bulls guises. 

This conveyor belt of talent is something CEO Peter Bayer highlighted. 

“Firstly, we must congratulate Liam for his step up to Red Bull Racing, as a sister team and as an incubator for Formula 1 talent, our strategic objective is to foster and nurture our drivers in preparation for this next step," explained Bayer.

"With this move and by bringing Isack into Racing Bulls, it’s a testament to our longstanding commitment to develop the best young drivers in motorsport, as well as proof of concept of the Red Bull Junior Program. 

"Having a younger driver supports our mission to speak to a younger audience, so we look forward to bringing new and existing fans on the journey with us."

Who do you think will be the best rookie on the 2025 F1 grid? Let us know by voting in the poll below and in the comments!