Rookie driver Isack Hadjar has admitted that he wouldn`t feel prepared for a sudden, mid-season move to the senior Red Bull Formula 1 team, describing the idea as “scary.”
The 20-year-old has emerged as one of the unexpected standouts this season for Racing Bulls. He has successfully scored points in five of his ten races and has contributed a significant 75 percent of the team`s total points in the constructors` championship so far.
Following the driver changes between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson after the first two rounds, Hadjar has demonstrated strong performance relative to the more experienced New Zealander, holding a 7-1 qualifying advantage and finishing ahead in every race they have both completed.
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda hasn`t consistently cemented his place alongside Max Verstappen at the main Red Bull team, leading to some discussion – though downplayed by the team – that Hadjar could potentially be considered for a seat in the near future.
When asked at the Canadian Grand Prix about his readiness for a Red Bull drive, Hadjar responded, “It`s a bit scary. I wouldn`t feel ready.” He added, “I`m just nine races in, and it looks complicated when I look at Yuki and Liam, who are high-quality drivers.” Despite this, he clarified, “I`m not very ready, but I would always be up for the call, that`s for sure.”
Sky Sports F1 commentator Nico Rosberg had previously suggested after the Spanish Grand Prix that Hadjar should “flat decline” any early invitation to step up, citing the difficulties faced by Verstappen`s teammates. Hadjar agreed that it`s reasonable to perceive an early promotion as tough, given the calibre of drivers like Liam and Yuki. He expressed curiosity about the experience of being Max`s teammate but stressed the importance of gaining more experience first. “For sure, I don`t feel ready, that`s a fact. It`s good to take experience where I`m at. I`m enjoying so much every weekend, learning a lot,” he stated, acknowledging that as a Red Bull junior driver, the natural progression is towards the main team.
Hadjar confirmed that completing the full season with Racing Bulls would be beneficial for his development.
Racing Bulls chief executive Peter Bayer recently joked that they might “handcuff him” if Red Bull made an early approach for Hadjar. Hadjar interpreted Bayer`s comments positively, saying, “It just means I`m well integrated into the team.” He is happy with his current situation, feeling valued by the team, and believes it is a very good position for a rookie driver.Yuki Tsunoda`s Situation
The article also touched upon Yuki Tsunoda`s performance at Red Bull. Tsunoda has completed eight race weekends but has only managed point-scoring finishes in three Grands Prix. He failed to add to his points tally in the last three races, with his hopes in Canada hampered by a 10-place grid penalty for an incident he strongly disputed.
Despite recovering to finish 12th outside the points, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner viewed aspects of his race positively. Horner commented, “To do a one-stop on that tyre, and once you`ve gone through the graining the tyres cleaned up again, I thought he actually did a decent job.” He noted how difficult overtaking was and felt Tsunoda should gain confidence from the performance, suggesting he would have scored points from his qualified position.
Horner also highlighted Tsunoda`s progress in adapting to the challenging RB21 car, noting he is developing his own setup direction rather than simply trying to adopt Max`s. Horner believes the team has made progress in this area recently and hopes Tsunoda will draw significant positives from the recent weekend.
