Red Bull rookie Hadjar ‘ready for faster car’ - boss

Isack Hadjar is capable of stepping up to Red Bull Racing if called upon.

That is the view of Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies, even after the 20-year-old rookie admitted in Montreal that he’s “not ready” to be Max Verstappen’s teammate.

Hadjar has been one of the standout performers of the 2025 rookie class, prompting speculation that Red Bull may consider replacing Yuki Tsunoda sooner rather than later.

“He’s having an extraordinary season,” Mekies told Sky Italia in Canada. “Maybe only Helmut Marko expected all of this.”

Still, Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer joked earlier this week that he would need “handcuffs” to keep Hadjar at the junior team for now, suggesting the French-Algerian driver needs more time before being exposed to the pressure of racing alongside Verstappen.

“He’s in a very important growth phase now,” Mekies acknowledged. “But a driver is always ready to get into a faster car.”

Should Hadjar get an early promotion to the senior Red Bull team, the next in line to fill his seat appears to be Arvid Lindblad.

The FIA has now approved Red Bull’s application for an early super license for the 17-year-old British-Swedish driver, despite his age.

“Arvid is gaining experience in Formula 2,” Mekies said. “But he still needs to develop. When the opportunity arises, we’ll evaluate it.”