Source: Radio New Zealand
Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, 2025. PHOTOSPORT
Analysis: French driver Isack Hadjar is set to be promoted to Red Bull next year, with team advisor Helmut Marko giving him the tick of approval – so where does that leave New Zealand’s Liam Lawson?
Hadjar has impressed in his rookie season in Formula 1, not necessarily with his results but with his attitude and driving.
The 21-year-old sits 10th in the Drivers’ Championship, seven points ahead of Racing Bulls teammate Lawson.
Hadjar grabbed a podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, finishing third behind Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.
If a driver in the Red Bull stable wants to survive they have to impress team advisor Marko, and the 82-year-old Austrian is impressed with Hadjar.
On the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast Marko was asked if Hadjar had what it takes to win championships.
“Yes,” was Marko’s initial response.
“Most of the circuits are new for him and after three laps he is competitive.
“I followed Michael Schumacher and [Ayrton] Senna very closely and they didn’t need 50 laps or however many tests before they’re there.”
Isack Hadjar of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team celebrates his third place finish at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix. MPS AGENCY / PHOTOSPORT
So it appears the plan is to move Hadjar up to Red Bull alongside Verstappen. But who will fill the Racing Bulls seats?
Neither Lawson nor Yuki Tsunoda are contracted for next year, while Red Bull junior driver Arvid Linblad, who competes in F2, is the other contender.
Marko said Lawson’s promotion to Red Bull to start the 2025 season was a mistake and that he needed time to decompress. He has also acknowledged his ruthless approach.
Marko has also noted an improvement with Tsunoda in the second half of the season after the Japanese driver also struggled when he initially jumped into the Red Bull car.
The key person in the decision-making could be Red Bull principal Laurent Mekies. He was very supportive of Hadjar and Lawson when he was in charge at Racing Bulls, and his promotion to Red Bull is likely to mean he will have more of a say in their driver line-up.
Lawson has three races left to make as much of an impression as he can, starting with the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend.
The Racing Bulls cars have been good across most circuits this year, but not great, and in Nevada outright speed will be tested with the straight down the Las Vegas strip the second longest on the calendar at 1.9km.
Downforce and drag settings are critical, while the bumpy nature of the track also comes into play for set-up. The cooler temperatures (under 10C) make it challenging for tyre selection and wear.
Racing Bulls team-mates Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, 2025 Belgian Grand Prix. FLORENT GOODEN / PHOTOSPORT
Lawson finished 16th in Las Vegas in 2024, but is coming off a seventh place finish in the last round in Brazil.
“The conditions are different to what we usually work with, so it makes for a super interesting race’” he said on the eve of the GP.
“As a street circuit, the start is often very slippery, feeling noticeably different to recent tracks we’ve been to, which have high grip.
“It’s going to be a tough race, but I’m really looking forward to kicking off the final triple header.”
The last two rounds are in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
