Ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP, Isack Hadjar details his low-key Red Bull promotion and his confidence in adapting to the 2026 F1 car. On December 2nd, Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar was announced at Red Bull Racing as their second driver for next year.
Hadjar will replace Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda, who will take on test and reserve driver duties for the team. The promotion comes after Hadjar’s remarkable season as a rookie, including a podium in Zaandvoort.
How did Hadjar find out about the promotion?
On Thursday’s media day at the Abu Dhabi GP, the Racing Bulls and future Red Bull F1 driver shared a glimpse into how the moment played out: “There was no very cool phone call where I pick up the phone and itâs like ‘Yeah, you’re a Red Bull Racing driver,’â Hadjar shared. “You know? It’s not really how it worked.”
Although George Russell may have had an entirely different idea of how the scene unfolded, âThey sent a pigeon with a note,â Russell joked.
While that certainly wasn’t the case, Hadjar detailed that the news of him finding out his promotion to the main team wasn’t anything glamorous.
“It was just a talk with Helmut I had. He made me understand I was driving for Red Bull, and I had to deliver. Thatâs it.“
Adapting to a car that’s hard to drive
Historically, Red Bull has gained a reputation as a challenging car to drive. With that in mind, Hadjar was questioned about producing a standout performance in a car primarily built around his future teammate, 4x world champion Max Verstappen.
The 21-year-old pushed back on the idea, suggesting that the car won’t be the same â a nod to the 2026 rule changes. âWell, it’s not true,â he said plainly. With the upcoming regulation changes, F1 cars will be completely different: smaller and lighter.
âItâs not the same car at all next year. So thatâs it. We’re going to get the car we have. The team is going to build this car. I have to adapt to that car, and Max will have to do the same job.â
Restarting from ground zero in 2026
He implied that both teammates will have to start at ground zero and learn how to adapt to a newer and updated model of the car. Hadjar emphasized that with a fresh chassis and a major regulation reset looming, the team dynamic resets, too.
âIf the car goes into one direction, at least I’ll be there to feel the change. And ideally, I contribute to that change. That would be the ideal scenario.â
Red Bull has a reputation for placing heavy expectations on their second drivers. For instance, Liam Lawson was replaced after two races in 2025. However, Hadjar remained unfazed when discussing the challenge of racing alongside a driver of Verstappen’s caliber.
âYou know, I’ve never repeated every year,â he said.
âI’ve always competed in different cars, so I don’t know what it’s like doing twice the same thing, the same job. So I think I’m pretty decent at adapting, so I’m actually confident.â
Hadjar isn’t the only one with a promotion; F2 driver and fellow Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad is set to take over Hadjar’s Racing Bulls seat in 2026, completing their line-up with Liam Lawson.
