Milton Keynes (UK), Dec 20 (IANS): Isack Hadjar will make his Formula 1 debut in 2025 after signing a deal with RB, Red Bull Racing's sister team, to become Yuki Tsunoda’s teammate.
Red Bull junior Hadjar impressed in his second season in feeder series F2, finishing runner-up to Kick Sauber-bound Gabriel Bortoleto with Campos Racing.
After Sergio Perez parted ways with Red Bull ahead of 2025 and Liam Lawson stepped up from RB in his place, there was a vacancy at RB.
The 20-year-old Isack has been driving for the prestigious Campos Racing team in F2 where he quickly established himself as one of the most promising young prospects. Isack’s trajectory has continued on the sharp upward curve in recent years, with big wins coming at classic Grand Prix venues including Imola, Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone.
Isack will be following the footsteps of Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo as he becomes the 19th driver to be promoted to Formula One from the Red Bull Junior Program, which started back in 2001.
“I’m very excited to step into my new role at VCARB, this is huge for myself, my family and all the people who have believed in me from the beginning. The journey from karting through the ranks in single-seaters, to now being in Formula One is the moment I’ve been working towards my whole life, it is the dream. I feel like I’m stepping into a whole new universe, driving a much faster car and racing with the best drivers in the world. It’ll be a huge learning curve, but I’m ready to work hard and do the best I can for the team," Isack said in a statement.
"I look forward to working with and learning from Yuki, I’ve always looked up to him, he went through the Red Bull Junior Program, like myself, and we’ve shared a similar path to F1. He’s very experienced and will be good to learn from," he added.
Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Racing Bulls said “We’re excited to have Isack with us next year, bringing a new and fresh dynamic to the team alongside Yuki in 2025. His journey to Formula One 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.”