It’s an early Christmas for the young driver Isack Hadjar, who holds both French and Algerian nationalities. Coming from the Red Bull Junior Team and at just 20 years old, Isack Hadjar will make his debut next year in the Formula 1 World Championship. Isack Hadjar will be the teammate of Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls, the so-called “sister” team of Red Bull Racing.

Since the ousting of Sergio Perez from Red Bull Racing two days ago, there has been a rapid “seat shuffle.” Liam Lawson, who finished the 2024 F1 season in place of Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bulls, will take Sergio Perez’s place as the new teammate of Max Verstappen. Consequently, Isack Hadjar takes over the vacant F1 seat left by Liam Lawson. In 2025, there will be three French drivers on the GP starting grid: Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), Esteban Ocon(Haas F1 Team), and Pierre Gasly (Alpine F1 Team).

This is excellent news for French motorsport, as well as for Algeria. This year, Isack Hadjar was crowned Formula 2 vice-champion with the Campos Racing team, while the 2024 Formula 2 title went to Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian driver will also be in F1 next year with Stake/Sauber, which will become Audi F1 Team in 2026. Unfortunately, another French driver, Théo Pourchaire, has been affected as he was ousted from Stake/Sauber. Below, you can see Isack Hadjar in action a few days ago in Qatar during the Formula 2 race.

Therefore, two very different destinies await Isack Hadjar, future F1 driver, and Théo Pourchaire, who sees his chances of reaching F1 dwindling. It is worth noting that Théo Pourchaire has signed with Peugeot Sport for 2025 as a reserve driver in the FIA WEC Endurance program.

Back to the talented Isack Hadjar, who shared his thoughts on joining F1 with Racing Bulls:

“I am very excited to start this new adventure with Racing Bulls. It’s just huge for me, my family, and everyone who believed in me from the start of my motorsport career. The journey from karting to single-seaters and then to Formula 1is the moment I’ve worked my whole life for. It’s a dream come true. I feel like I’m entering a whole new universe, driving a much faster car and racing with the best drivers in the world. It’s a huge opportunity to keep learning, but I’m ready to work very hard and do my best for the team. I can’t wait to work with Yuki Tsunoda and learn from him. I’ve always admired him; he went through the Red Bull Junior Program like me, and we’ve shared a similar path to F1. He is very experienced, and it will be good to learn alongside him.”

Finally, let’s wish Isack Hadjar the greatest success in Formula 1. However, it is unfortunate that France will no longer have a GP or an F1 engine from 2026. Remember that Renault Sport will end its F1 engine activities at the end of next season. The Alpine F1 Team cars will be equipped with Mercedes-AMG Power Units in 2026.

The Editorial Team

Photos: Red Bull Content

FIA WEC Endurance program Formula 1 World Championship Gabriel Bortoleto Isack Hadjar Peugeot Sport Racing Bulls Red Bull Junior Team Théo Pourchaire Yuki Tsunoda