Isack Hadjar replaces Liam Lawson at RB for 2025 F1 season
Formula 2 runner-up Isack Hadjar is set to replace the Red Bull-bound Liam Lawson at RB in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The 20-year-old French driver will step up to partner with Yuki Tsunoda at the junior team, following Lawson's promotion to the senior Red Bull team as a replacement for the outgoing Sergio Perez. This move was confirmed by the team on Thursday, completing the 2025 Formula 1 grid as all 10 teams have announced their line-ups.
"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," Hadjar said. "The journey from karting through the ranks in single-seaters, to now being in Formula 1 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."
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloHadjar, who joined Red Bull's junior programme in 2022, adds to the list of rookies set to race in 2025. Gabriel Bortoleto, who edged Hadjar out for the F2 title, will drive for Sauber. Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, and Jack Doohan and Oliver Bearman, who debuted in F1 in stand-in roles this season, will compete for Alpine and Haas respectively.
Laurent Mekies, team principal of RB, expressed his enthusiasm about Hadjar joining the team: "We're excited to have Isack with us next year, bringing a new and fresh dynamic to the team alongside Yuki in 2025. His journey to Formula 1 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."
