Isack Hadjar is considered the top candidate for a Red Bull cockpit, but “because it’s more annoying than helpful,” he would rather wait until the end of the year to find out the decision.
Almost all the seats for the 2026 season have already been filled, but there is still uncertainty at Red Bull: Isack Hadjar, who can now even imagine himself making the step up to the top team, is considered a hot candidate to become Max Verstappen’s new teammate next year.
Red Bull had announced that it wanted to make a driver decision after this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, but Hadjar is now causing a stir with a surprising statement: “Actually, I’d like to know at the end of the year because all the noise around it is more annoying than helpful.”
There are still five races left this season, “in which you just have to keep going,” says the Frenchman with Algerian roots, hinting that the constant discussions about next year are distracting him. Nevertheless, he is in a much better position than he was twelve months ago.
Isack Hadjar “less panicked” than last year
“Twelve months ago, things were a bit uncertain, that’s true,” Hadjar recalls. At the time, he was still racing in Formula 2, and it was by no means clear whether he would make the leap to Formula 1. “I had an idea, but this year I’m in a better position because I know I’ll be in Formula 1 next year.”
“Last year, I didn’t know what I was doing, so I’m much less panicked now,” grins the Racing Bulls driver at Thursday’s press conference. When Hadjar is asked if he might already know about his future but isn’t allowed to reveal anything, he starts to laugh.
Was that the answer? “No, you’re just too smart,” smiles the 21-year-old, adding later: “I’ll definitely know before it’s officially announced. Otherwise, there would be a problem. Ideally, I’d want everyone to wait until the end of the year before asking me questions.”
Hadjar confident: “Good job done”
The Racing Bulls driver, who is considered one of his own biggest critics, is satisfied with his debut season in Formula 1 so far. “I think I’ve done a good job so far,” says Hadjar, although the results don’t always reflect the speed he actually had.
“I’m not talking about qualifying or the race,” he adds. “I mean every free practice session, on every track I’ve been on. I never felt like there was a session where I was three tenths off and couldn’t explain why.”
“So in a way, I’m very happy with that, and if I’m happy with my season, they should be too,” says the Racing Bulls driver, hinting at those in charge. So it seems only a matter of time before Hadjar’s promotion is officially announced…