Isack Hadjar handed F1 debut with Racing Bulls as Liam Lawson replacement

Isack Hadjar will make the step up from Formula 2 to F1 with Red Bull’s junior team, Racing Bulls, replacing Liam Lawson.

It’s been a busy last few days for Red Bull, which on Wednesday announced Sergio Perez's departure from the team.

Then, on Thursday morning, Lawson was announced as a Red Bull driver, partnering Max Verstappen for the 2025 F1 season.

The vacancy at Racing Bulls will be filled by Hadjar.

The 20-year-old Frenchman is the latest talent in Red Bull’s young driver programme to get a chance in F1, following the likes of Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, and Daniel Ricciardo.

Hadjar finished second in the 2024 F2 standings, narrowly missing out on the title to Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.

He will race alongside Yuki Tsunoda, who was overlooked by Red Bull in terms of a promotion.

Speaking of the news, Hadjar said: “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.

“The journey from karting through the ranks in single-seaters, to now being in Formula One 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 Programme, like myself, and we’ve shared a similar path to F1. He’s very experienced and will be good to learn from.”

Another rookie on the 2025 F1 grid

Hadjar adds his name to a long list of rookies on the 2025 F1 grid.

Mercedes decided to replace Lewis Hamilton with 18-year-old wonderkid Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Haas opted for Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman, while Jack Doohan will race alongside Pierre Gasly at Alpine.

Bortoleto was chosen as Valtteri Bottas’s replacement at Sauber.

It means there’s a number of high-profile drivers on the sidelines.

Bottas, Perez, Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen, and Zhou Guanyu are all without a drive for 2025.