Isack Hadjar laughed off the suggestion that he already knows he is set to join Red Bull for the 2026 Formula 1 campaign.
Red Bull previously stated it aims to announce its 2026 driver line-up around this weekend’s Mexico Grand Prix, plus that of sister squad Racing Bulls, which Hadjar currently drives for.
Hadjar has impressed in his rookie 2025 season and it is expected that the 21-year-old will replace the struggling Yuki Tsunoda as Max Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate.
It is then believed that Hadjar’s spot at Racing Bulls will be taken by F2’s Arvid Lindblad, whose team-mate will either be Tsunoda or Liam Lawson with the latter favourite to retain his spot.
When Hadjar was asked if he already knows his fate and that he just cannot reveal it, he started laughing before adding: “No, you’re just too smart.”
The Frenchman then claimed in Mexico, the fifth-to-last round of this season, that “in an ideal world, I’d like everyone to wait for the end of the year before asking me questions”.
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
“It’s more annoying than anything, the noise,” added Hadjar. “So it’s five races to keep pushing.”
At the United States Grand Prix last week, he was even asked if he would be open to finishing the year with Red Bull in preparation for 2026. Hadjar said he would be, but it is “so unlikely” that his focus is instead on securing sixth for Racing Bulls in the constructors’ standings.
That is the position the Italian outfit currently occupies, but seventh-placed Aston Martin trail by just three points with Sauber 13 behind in eighth. Fifth-placed Williams, meanwhile, is 39 ahead of Racing Bulls.
“That would mean I would have just two more races with the team,” said Hadjar on the matter of joining Red Bull early. “And that’s just not going to happen. I’m so happy with the team I’m with right now, and for them I also need to bring the sixth place home.”
Hadjar is happy with his season regardless of what happens next, as he is 10th in the drivers’ championship, nine points ahead of team-mate Lawson, and scored a podium at Zandvoort.
“I’ve done a good job so far this year,” said Hadjar. “Honestly, even the results, I think they don’t reflect the speed I’ve had. I’m not talking about qualifying and race.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images
“I’m talking about every free practice session of every year of every track I’ve been on. I haven’t felt like there was a session where I was three tenths away and I can’t explain why. It never happened to me. So in a way I’m very happy about that and if I’m fine with my season then they should be as well.”
Lawson and Tsunoda have also claimed to know nothing, even if the writing may be on the wall for the current Red Bull driver. Since Tsunoda replaced Lawson at Red Bull from round three of this year, in Japan, he has scored just 25 points – leaving him 16th in the championship.
But recent rounds have seen improvements from the 25-year-old, with Tsunoda taking three points finishes in five grands prix. That is due to a combination of factors, whether it be the upgrades Red Bull brought to Monza or Tsunoda’s beneficial simulator time, but regardless, he thinks it should be enough to keep his seat in 2026.
“I’m confident in what I’ve done and the situation I’m in,” said Tsunoda, whose team-mate Verstappen is third in the standings. “Obviously, I try to give the best as much as possible to improve myself as soon as possible and score points.
“So, I just keep doing what I’m doing. It’s up to them, really. It’s what kind of team line-up they want. But I think I’ve improved a lot of things, and I also keep improving myself to deserve that I can be in the same team next year.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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