Isack Hadjar steps into Red Bull this year. After a spectacular rookie season at Racing Bulls, the young Frenchman inherits Yuki Tsunoda’s seat. Hadjar repeatedly showed raw pace in 2025, but also resilience. After his first race weekend ended with a retirement on the formation lap, he was back on his feet quickly. Max Verstappen’s new team‑mate looks back on that horror debut and the turnaround that followed.
On a new episode of the Red Bull podcast Talking Bull, Isack Hadjar was asked about his retirement in Melbourne. “My world collapsed that day,” he admitted with a laugh. “Even in the car the emotions were running very high. Luckily this isn’t a combat sport where you only race once every six months; five days later you can already have your revenge. I immediately saw opportunities in that. I realised: ‘Okay, the week ahead will be painful, I’ll just keep thinking about what I could have done differently. But after that I get back in the car and show what I can do.’ In China I then had a good qualifying and got back on track relatively quickly.”
Points finishes
In the following race in Japan Hadjar, no less, scored his first points for Racing Bulls. “That felt amazing,” he added. “Also because Suzuka is such a legendary circuit. I had always wanted to race there as a Formula 1 driver.” Later in the season there were many more points finishes for the young Parisian. He also produced a fine fifth place in Monaco.
“That one really stands out for me,” he explained. “It felt like a home race; all my family and friends were there. I also signed my first Red Bull contract there and, as an Ayrton Senna fan, Monaco naturally remains extra special. I wanted to put something special on the board there. In the end it was a fantastic weekend — at that moment my best result ever for the team.” After a strong qualifying in the Principality, Hadjar worked well with teammate Liam Lawson. The young duo kept the field at bay and scored double points for Racing Bulls.
