VCARB returns to its roots with the announcement of Isack Hadjar
The 2025 Formula 1 grid is finally complete.
This week saw the final two seats fall into place, first with the long-rumored news that Red Bull and Sergio Pérez were parting ways after four seasons together. Then on Thursday Red Bull announced that Liam Lawson was being promoted from a spot at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls to drive alongside Max Verstappen next year, leaving one spot left on the grid, the seat next to Yuki Tsunoda at VCARB.
Now, Tsunoda has a teammate.
VCARB announced on Friday morning that 20-year-old Isack Hadjar has earned a promotion from the F2 ranks, to secure the final seat on the grid for next season.
“We’re excited to have Isack with us next year, bringing a new and fresh dynamic to the team alongside Yuki in 2025,” said VCARB Team Principal Laurent Mekies in a statement. “His journey to Formula One has been nothing short of outstanding, he has shown remarkable growth, with a series of impressive results in the junior single-seater ranks. He has the talent and drive necessary to compete at the highest level, and we have every confidence that he will adapt quickly and make a significant impact.
“I believe Isack and Yuki will make a great team. Yuki brings invaluable experience to the team, he’s shown incredible resilience and maturity, which will be crucial for the team as we strive to hit all our aims and objectives in 2025.”
Hadjar just completed a phenomenal season in the F2 ranks where he finished second in the Drivers’ Championship standings, just 22.5 points behind champion Gabriel Bortoleto. Hadjar won four F2 Feature races this season and both he and Bortoleto — along with Paul Aron — entered the final race weekend of the F2 schedule with a chance to win the title. Aron was eliminated from contention in the F2 Sprint Race in Abu Dhabi, and when Hadjar stalled early in the F2 Feature Race, it opened the door for Bortoleto to secure the title with his P2 finish.
Now the two drivers will renew their budding rivalry on the F1 grid.
“I’m very excited to step into my new role at VCARB, this is huge for myself, my family and all the people who have believed in me from the beginning,” said Hadjar. “The journey from karting through the ranks in single-seaters, to now being in Formula One is the moment I’ve been working towards my whole life, it is the dream. I feel like I’m stepping into a whole new universe, driving a much faster car and racing with the best drivers in the world. It’ll be a huge learning curve, but I’m ready to work hard and do the best I can for the team.
“I look forward to working with and learning from Yuki, I’ve always looked up to him, he went through the Red Bull Junior Program, like myself, and we’ve shared a similar path to F1. He’s very experienced and will be good to learn from.”
The move is a clear signal towards VCARB, Red Bull’s junior team, maintaining its status as a driver development organization for the senior team. At the start of the 2024 season, the team had Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo as their two drivers, a pair of veterans on the grid hoping for a move to the senior team.
Now with Hadjar in the fold, VCARB is returning to its roots.
“Firstly, we must congratulate Liam for his step up to Oracle Red Bull Racing,” said VCARB CEO Peter Bayer. “As a sister team and as an incubator for Formula One talent, our strategic objective is to foster and nurture our drivers in preparation for this next step.
“With this move and by bringing Isack into VCARB, it’s a testament to our longstanding commitment to develop the best young drivers in motorsport, as well as proof of concept of the Red Bull Junior Program. Having a younger driver supports our mission to speak to a younger audience, so we look forward to bringing new and existing fans on the journey with us.”
The 2025 F1 season begins with pre-season testing at the end of February, before the schedule starts with the Australian Grand Prix on March 18, 2025.
