Mekies: Hadjar is 'always prepared' for a seat at Red Bull.
"Perhaps only Helmut Marko anticipated all of this."
Isack Hadjar is capable of stepping up to Red Bull's senior team. This perspective comes from Laurent Mekies, the team leader at Racing Bulls, after the 20-year-old rookie admitted in Montreal that he feels "not ready" to partner with Max Verstappen. Hadjar has been the most impressive rookie of the 2025 season thus far, leading to speculation that Red Bull might replace Yuki Tsunoda sooner rather than later. "He’s having an outstanding season," Mekies commented to Sky Italia in Canada. "Maybe only Helmut Marko saw this coming."
However, Mekies' superior - Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer - humorously suggested this week that he would "handcuff" Hadjar to the junior team so he can gain additional experience before facing Verstappen. "He’s in a critical growth phase right now," Mekies acknowledged. "But a driver is always ready to get into a faster car."
If Hadjar is promoted early, it is clear that the next candidate for a Racing Bulls seat is Arvid Lindblad. The FIA approved Red Bull's request for an early super license for the British-Swedish driver this week, even though he is still 17. "Arvid is accumulating experience in Formula 2," Mekies stated, "but he still requires further development. We will assess the situation when the opportunity arises."
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