Isack Hadjar has disclosed that his primary objective entering Formula 1 was always to earn a promotion from Racing Bulls to Red Bull Racing, partnering Max Verstappen at the senior team.
The 21-year-old Frenchman has enjoyed a standout debut season, meeting the ambitious goal he set for himself. His “big, big rookie year” was highlighted by a breakthrough maiden podium at the Dutch Grand Prix, a result that cemented his growing reputation in the paddock.
Three rounds into the current season, Red Bull is grappling with the challenging RB22 car. Despite the team’s struggles, Hadjar has so far fared better against four-time world champion Verstappen than his predecessors in the second Red Bull seat, which is widely regarded as one of the toughest roles in F1.
Reflecting on his journey, Hadjar acknowledged that his F1 career began in the worst possible fashion. At the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, his debut race, he crashed on the formation lap and failed to even take the start. The moment was crushing for the young driver, but it became a turning point rather than a setback.
“I really enjoyed it,” Hadjar told Formula 1 when looking back at his first months in the sport. “I felt very stressed at the start of the year. I knew I didn’t have much mileage in F1.”
With 2024 being the final year of the current technical regulations, Hadjar knew the field would be ultra-competitive from round one. The pressure to deliver pace immediately was immense, especially for a rookie with limited testing.
“I knew it’s the biggest championship, it’s the last year of these regulations, so everyone is flat out, and I need to have the pace,” he explained. “Am I going to be three-tenths behind? I’m going to struggle to catch up, but actually, it never happened like that.”
To his surprise, Hadjar was on the pace straight away. Despite the disappointment in Melbourne, he rebounded quickly and refused to let the early crash define him. His response demonstrated the mental resilience that has since become a hallmark of his rookie campaign.
One of the most striking indicators of Hadjar’s consistency came not from his Zandvoort podium, but from his qualifying record. It wasn’t until Monza — the 16th race of the season — that he suffered his first Q1 elimination. For a rookie to reach round 16 before failing to escape the first part of qualifying underlines his one-lap speed and ability to extract performance from the car.
Now firmly established at Red Bull, Hadjar admits that his public comments at the start of the year downplayed his true ambition. While he spoke about taking things “step by step” throughout his debut season, internally his sights were set much higher.
“I was straight in the rhythm, and I must say, I just enjoyed it a lot,” Hadjar said. “I knew that if I did the job naturally, I would get the seat, the promotion. And to be honest, that was my target starting the year.”
“I was like, ‘I’m going to take it step by step, blah, blah, blah.’ That’s what I was saying. But in fact, I wanted to have a big, big rookie season, step into the Red Bull, and that was it.”
The admission reveals the self-belief that has carried Hadjar from a painful debut to a coveted seat alongside Verstappen. Many drivers have struggled in Red Bull’s second car, with the team cycling through several teammates for Verstappen in recent years. The pressure, car characteristics, and direct comparison to a generational talent have made it a daunting challenge.
Yet Hadjar’s approach has been different. Rather than being overwhelmed, he viewed the promotion as a natural outcome if he performed. That mindset, combined with his speed and adaptability, convinced Red Bull to move him up from Racing Bulls.
His trajectory also highlights Red Bull’s faith in its junior program. After a difficult 2024 for the team’s second seat, Hadjar’s emergence provides optimism. While the RB22 has proven tricky to master, his early performances suggest he can handle the pressure better than previous incumbents.
Hadjar’s story is one of resilience and clarity of purpose. From crashing before his first F1 race even began to standing on the podium at Zandvoort and securing a Red Bull drive, he has exceeded external expectations. His honesty about targeting the top seat from day one shows a driver who is not content with simply making up the numbers.
As the 2026 season unfolds, all eyes will be on how Hadjar develops alongside Verstappen. The car may be difficult, but if his rookie year is anything to go by, the Frenchman has both the pace and the mentality to thrive. For Red Bull, he represents not just a solution to a long-standing problem, but a potential star for the future.
