Isack Hadjar says Red Bull promotion feels seamless after years in junior program
Summary
French rookie Isack Hadjar, promoted to Red Bull’s senior squad alongside Max Verstappen, says the move didn’t feel like joining a new team. Years of FP1 runs, simulator work and familiar engineers made his transition smooth.
Isack Hadjar’s step up to Red Bull Racing feels less like a fresh start and more like a natural continuation, the French driver told media after being confirmed as Max Verstappen’s teammate.
Why it matters:
- Red Bull preserves its driver development pipeline, letting a rookie skip the usual learning curve in a title‑contending car.
- His familiarity with the engineers and simulators shortens the adaptation period, potentially boosting Red Bull’s fight with Mercedes and Ferrari.
The details:
- Joined Red Bull’s junior academy in 2021, progressing through the feeder series before a solid 2025 rookie season with Racing Bulls.
- Logged FP1 sessions for the senior squad in 2023 and 2024, gaining track‑side data and building rapport with the engineers.
- Will reunite with team principal Laurent Mekies, who moved to Red Bull mid‑2025, and highlighted that working with familiar engineers “made the transition a lot easier.”
What's next:
Hadjar will debut alongside Verstappen at the Bahrain Grand Prix, tasked with extracting performance from a car that has already secured three straight Constructors’ titles. Partnering again with Laurent Mekies, the pair will fine‑tune his driving style to the RB19’s aerodynamics while Red Bull monitors early points to gauge his progress.
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