This F1 season, we welcome five promising rookies to the grid. In the ‘Meet the F1 Rookies’ section, we introduce these young debutants who have been brought to the pinnacle of motorsport with high expectations. We kick off with Isack Hadjar.
Hadjar was the last driver announced for the 2025 season. The French-Algerian talent took the vacant seat at Racing Bulls after Liam Lawson was promoted to Red Bull. An interesting fact: Hadjar is one of the few recent Formula 1 drivers to have secured a seat without winning a single championship. In his home country, he is often compared to Alain Prost, earning him the nickname “le Petit Prost”.
Hadjar, born on September 28, 2004, in Paris, began his racing career at the age of seven in karting after being inspired by the animated film Cars. After his karting career, he competed in the French F4 championship at the age of 14. He won at Spa-Francorchamps and finished second in the rookie championship. During the winter months, he made a detour to the F4 championship in the United Arab Emirates, before returning to France for the F4 championship in 2020. With three victories and eight podium finishes, he finished third in the final standings.
The Frenchman then combined a part-time seat in the Formula 3 Asian Championship with a full-time seat in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. His performances caught the attention of the Red Bull Junior Team, which included him in their ranks in 2022. Hadjar also made his debut in Formula 3 that year, finishing the championship in a respectable fourth place.
A Difficult Year in F2
In 2023, Hadjar moved to Formula 2, hoping to continue his upward trajectory. Unfortunately, he had a challenging season with Hitech Grand Prix, finishing fourteenth in the final standings. There were questions about his future in motorsport, but Red Bull continued to support him. They offered him several training rides during the Grands Prix in Mexico and Abu Dhabi and decided to give F2 another shot.
The decision paid off. His second season, racing for Campos Racing, was much more successful. In the final race, Hadjar was even in contention for the title, but his engine stalled, allowing Gabriel Bortoleto to become champion. His four victories, eight podium finishes, and second place in the championship were enough for Red Bull to promote him to Formula 1.
This year, Hadjar aims to make an immediate impression alongside his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. “I am eager and will do my utmost to be spectacular on the track,” he declared confidently at the F1 75 Live event. Will he immediately make life difficult for the Japanese driver? In terms of entertainment, the fans are in for a treat from these gentlemen, as the newcomer, like his teammate, is known for his frequent and colorful commentary over the team radio. This promises to be exciting!
