Hadjar’s extremely impressive performances in his first Formula 1 season at Racing Bulls, which included a podium at the Dutch Grand Prix, have earned him a place as Max Verstappen’s teammate next season.
Tsunoda will be made a Red Bull test and reserve driver, meaning the popular Japanese driver will remain in the company’s class but without a racing role.
Due to the way the company’s driver contracts work, he will be on stand-by to replace any one of the team’s four drivers if they are ineligible to compete over the weekend.
The move by Red Bull reflects huge confidence in Hadjar and Lindblad as the sport moves into a new rules cycle, with sweeping regulation changes on the aerodynamics and engine side of the car.
Red Bull will build its own engines from next year after Tsunoda’s title-winning partnership with long-time backer Honda ended.
Tsunoda’s Honda connections helped him replace the underperforming Lawson after only two races of the season in April, but his long-awaited dream soon ended.
Like Lawson, Sergio Pérez, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly before him, Tsunoda ultimately struggled as Verstappen’s teammate. He sits on 33 points in 15th place ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Verstappen is still in the championship race with McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Red Bull clearly doesn’t expect the same from Hadjar, but the company’s trigger-happy habit of quick promotions will again be under the microscope should the Frenchman follow in the footsteps of his predecessors with Verstappen.
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Red Bull boss Laurent Mackies said of Hadjar, “In his first F1 season, he has shown a lot of maturity and has proven to be a quick learner.” “Most importantly, he has demonstrated the raw speed that is the number one requirement in this sport. We believe Isak can move forward with Max and create magic on the track.”
Despite the feeling that many at the time thought the career would essentially end, Lawson has been handed a lifeline with another season in the junior team.
Lawson will partner British-Swedish driver Lindblad, who only turned 18 in August. Much-publicized Linbadlad has had a mixed rookie Formula 2 season, where he currently sits sixth in the championship.
Sources have told ESPN that Lindblad’s promotion has been on hold for several months, while Hedzer’s promotion to the senior team has also been almost certain for some time.
This created a difficult puzzle for Red Bull boss Laurent Mackies, who replaced Christian Horner at the team in July, as he and Red Bull considered what to do with the remaining seat in the junior team.
Mackies worked with Hadjar in the first half of this year and with Tsunoda and Lawson in his previous role as Racing Bulls boss and remains an admirer of both drivers’ abilities.
Red Bull and Racing Bulls have essentially spent the last few months working out who of the two should put on the junior team. Red Bull have been impressed with how Lawson has handled the situation and it is understood that his form, particularly in the second half of the year, has greatly helped his chances of staying on.
There is also a strong feeling internally that Lawson has not been given all the necessary conditions to make company decisions during his career.
Despite racing in Formula 1 for three seasons, the New Zealander has never completed a full season under normal circumstances – he was an injury stand-in for Daniel Ricciardo for a few races in 2023, before replacing the Australian at next year’s Singapore Grand Prix. He replaced Pérez at Red Bull this year, but was soon demoted again after two poor performances.
ESPN understands Red Bull made the announcement ahead of the final race of the year because there was pressure internally to avoid a PR mess following Ricciardo’s exit last year.
Ricciardo was forced to exit in tears in Singapore, where Red Bull and Racing Bulls had essentially left his future publicly up in the air despite having already decided that after that weekend’s race he was out and Lawson was in.
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