RB driver Isack Hadjar has voiced that it would be a “positive step” for him to participate in a Red Bull F1 test session soon, given a potential promotion for the 2026 season.
The young racer, aged 21, has surpassed initial forecasts in the current season, currently holding ninth position in the championship, marked by a notable podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix.
He has frequently outperformed his teammate, Liam Lawson, in addition to Yuki Tsunoda, the Red Bull driver who finds himself in 17th place, battling for his spot in F1 over the concluding races of the year.
Regardless of Tsunoda’s performance, Hadjar is largely anticipated to join Max Verstappen at the Red Bull team in 2026, coinciding with the introduction of revised technical regulations in F1.
Hadjar has expressed his aspiration to drive for Red Bull. Earlier in the current year he suggested he wasn’t ready to transition in 2025. Leading up to the United States Grand Prix this week, his sentiments seemed to evolve.
In response to a question in Austin about his potential involvement in the “last three races this year” for Red Bull, Hadjar stated: “Indeed, why not? I believe it could be… if I felt absolutely prepared and saw an opportunity to gain experience, then yes. However, with a completely new car on the horizon next year, it could also be viewed as somewhat unnecessary.”
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Following this, the advantage of familiarizing with his future engineers was highlighted to Hadjar, to which he responded: “That would certainly be advantageous. That’s an aspect I hadn’t considered, I’ll admit. That makes sense.”
Red Bull has previously indicated their intention to reveal their driver configurations for both teams by the Mexico Grand Prix, set immediately after Austin on 24-26 October.
Hadjar however, professed to be unaware of this timeline, clarifying that “it does not affect my approach at all”.
“I’ve reiterated this multiple times. There may be a lot of speculation, but once I’m in the car, my only focus is on maximizing my performance. Nothing more,” Hadjar explained.
Lawson confirmed that the team hasn’t provided him with a specific timetable yet, as the 23-year-old is in a similar situation to Tsunoda, contending for his ongoing presence in the championship.
This situation arises due to the anticipation that F2’s Arvid Lindblad will be stepping up to Racing Bulls next year, positioning the seat next to the 18-year-old Red Bull affiliate as the remaining spot to be assigned.
Lawson remains unfazed, mentioning that this has been a consistent theme in his racing career since his initial entry as a substitute for Daniel Ricciardo at the 2023 Dutch GP.
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images via Getty Images
“That’s been my reality in Formula 1 thus far, even if it hasn’t been extensive, it reflects my experience,” Lawson shared, who is participating in his first full season in the championship, having commenced the year at Red Bull, before being substituted for Tsunoda after two races without scoring points.
“It mirrors how I entered the sport the previous year, and it has been a recurrent theme, introduced early on in the junior program.”
“We are consistently subjected to this form of pressure, operating within a performance-driven framework, designed to challenge us, so in all honesty, it’s nothing unfamiliar.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
