After the long saga of Sergio Perez's fate, Liam Lawson was the chosen one. Despite Yuki Tsunoda outperforming Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo at RB, the Japanese driver was still overlooked in favor of the Kiwi when it came to the second Red Bull seat for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
However, a very tough start to 2025 led to a surprisingly quick switch for Red Bull, as Lawson and Tsunoda were swapped before the Japanese Grand Prix. Red Bull sent a message with the swap that they will not tolerate mediocrity, given the fact that Perez's subpar performance cost them the constructor championship last season.
Tsunoda will reportedly get until the end of the season to show what he can do with the RB21. The Japanese driver’s contract is also set to expire at the end of the year, and a renewal is not guaranteed.
Red Bull’s latest rookie is not turning down the challenge if it comes his way
Isack Hadjar was promoted to Formula 1 this season after a very strong campaign in Formula 2 last year. The French-Algerian driver found himself in a rough spot to open the season, as he crashed very early on in the Australian Grand Prix, and it was followed by an emotional reaction.
However, the 20-year-old rebounded nicely after a P11 finish in China and a strong P8 finish in Suzuka. Scoring points and keeping the car out of the wall are key factors for Red Bull, and achieving that consistently can push Hadjar into the conversation of being Max Verstappen’s teammate in 2026.
It was fairly recent when Hadjar was asked about the possibility of moving up to the main team next season. He confidently said that he would be ready for the move and would not turn down a call from Christian Horner.
At the moment, it seems like the 20-year-old has the longest odds of joining Red Bull in 2026 among himself, Lawson, and Tsunoda. However, with Honda looking to take Tsunoda with them, and the Kiwi driver’s confidence still recovering, Hadjar can capitalize on the circumstances.
Surely his performance in Japan caught the eye of Helmut Marko, as he finished in front of Lawson, Tsunoda, and the likes of Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Fernando Alonso. Looking forward to the Bahrain Grand Prix, Hadjar will certainly be motivated to avenge his DNF from the feature race in Formula 2 last year.