Red Bull youngster Isack Hadjar will take the final seat on the much-changed 2025 Formula 1 grid after being confirmed as Racing Bulls' second driver for next year.
With Liam Lawson promoted to senior Red Bull team in place of Sergio Perez, the Red Bull second team – who are tweaking their name from RB for next year – had an open seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Frenchman Hadjar, 20, finished second in this year's F2 championship to Sauber new boy Gabriel Bortoleto after winning four races and will become the latest driver from Red Bull's youth program to graduate to the F1 grid .
He has made four Practice One appearances with both Red Bull teams over the past two seasons on F1 race weekends and will become the 19th driver in the company's junior program to step up to the top level .
“I am very excited to enter my new role at VCARB, this is huge for me, my family and the people who have believed in me from the beginning,” said Hadjar.
“The journey from karting through the ranks in single-seaters, to now being in Formula 1 is the moment I've been working towards all my life, the dream it is.
“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 will be a big learning curve, but I'm ready to work hard and do my best. I can for the team.
“I'm looking forward to working with and learning from Yuki, I've always looked up to him, he went through the Red Bull Youth Program, like myself, and we're on a similar path to F1 to share. He is very knowledgeable and it will be good to learn from them.”
Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies, whose outfit finished eighth in the 2024 Constructors' Championship, said: “(Hadjar's) journey to Formula 1 has not been unique, he has shown incredible growth, with a series of impressive results in youth. single seat areas.
“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 big impact.
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Red Bull have confirmed Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen's teammate for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
In a clear changing of the guard in F1, Hadjar is the fourth driver from the F2 field this year to secure a race seat at the top level for 2025 after Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oliver Bearman (Haas) and Bortoleto.
Jack Doohan, who raced in F2 from 2021-23, has been promoted to the Alpine race seat and Lawson will also compete in a full season for the first time after cameos in each of the last two campaigns.
Only two of F1's 10 teams – constructors' champions McLaren and Aston Martin – are fielding the same two drivers they started with in 2024.
Watch all 24 race weekends from the 2025 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1, starting with the Australian GP on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
