Isack Hadjar, born in 2004, becomes Red Bull’s third driver until the end of the season, taking over the role previously held by Liam Lawson.
Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from Formula 1 triggered significant changes within the Circus: Racing Bulls, the Faenza-based team, decided to bench the Australian to make room for 2002-born Liam Lawson, who had already been tested last year.
The New Zealand driver was not exactly “unemployed,” though: for the first part of this year, Lawson was Red Bull’s reserve driver (and also for Racing Bulls). However, he can no longer fulfill that role due to its incompatibility with his full-time seat in the junior team.
Red Bull and Christian Horner then had to find a new third driver. The solution came from within, as they promoted 19-year-old Isack Hadjar. Currently second in the Formula 2 championship with four victories, the Frenchman has impressed everyone with his excellent speed and exuberance on the radio, a trait reminiscent of his academy teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson, tough start in Austin
For Lawson, despite the big news yesterday, it won’t all be “smooth sailing”: the new Racing Bulls driver will most likely start from the back of the grid at the next Grand Prix in Austin, due to a 10-place grid penalty.
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool, Visa CashApp RB F1 Team
