F1
Isack’s Famous Five
Isack Hadjar’s rise to a seat at Oracle Red Bull Racing is a testament to his skill, consistency, and relentless drive. Here are five of the most memorable races that showcase his rise to the top…
01
2021 – Formula Regional European Championship, Monaco
Isack During Round Six of the Formula Regional European Championship
© Getty Images
Motorsport is a cruel business and all too often talent alone is not enough to take a driver to the top levels. Timing is also hugely important and being in the right place and delivering at the right time can make a huge difference.
So it was for Isack. The Frenchman had sometimes flown under the radar in his junior career but in 2021, at the age of 16, he made it to the grid of the 2021 Formula Regional Championship with the R-ace GP team. And with the opening round taking place in Monaco on the same bill as F1, he was determined to make the most of the opportunity.
She said that Helmut Marko wanted to meet me...So, I met him, and he said that he would send me a contract. That was it — super easy. That was a really good day!
Isack dominated the opening race in Monaco, taking pole and scoring a lights-to-flag victory. At the start, he held off teammate Zane Moloney and then raced away from the field to opening a sizeable gap. His advantage was erased by a Safety Car when Arden’s Nicola Marinangeli spun, but Isack held his nerve to take a convincing win. And moments after the flag it proved to be a life-changing one as he received a phone call from his mother, Randa. “She said that Helmut Marko wanted to meet me,” Hadjar recalled. “So, I met him, and he said that he would send me a contract. That was it — super easy. That was a really good day!”
02
2022 – Formula 3, Spielberg
Isack opened his Formula 3 account in style, inheriting victory in the Bahrain Sprint when Ollie Bearman received a five-second penalty for track limits infringements. But in a season in which he challenged for the title right to the end, we’re going to pick his weekend at the Red Bull Ring as the highlight.
Isack Hadjar on the podium of F3 in Spielberg 2022
© Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool
Isack Hadjar racing F3 at the Red Bull Ring 2022
© Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool
Isack Hadjar in the Park Ferme of the F3 Feature Race - Spielberg 2022
© Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool
Isack Hadjar leaving the pit lane - Formula 3 Spielberg 2022
© Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool
He took pole and then scored a single point in the reverse grid Sprint. On Sunday, despite extremely wet conditions Isack soaked up immense pressure and a late Safety Car to win the Feature Race ahead of title rivals Victor Martins and Bearman. The victory put him in P2 in the Championship, just a point behind Martins. Isack’s title charge would fade in the final rounds, but the rookie still rated it his most successful campaign.
2022 was by far my best racing season in my small career...
“2022 was by far my best racing season in my small career,” he recalled later. “I learned so many things throughout the year. I didn’t expect to be fighting for the Championship until the very last race, but the hard work we’ve put in got rewarded from the first races. The second half of the season was not ideal but what I remember was that we were always rapid and on a pace side we were the most consistent."
03
2024 – Formula 2, Melbourne
A first win in any series is a big deal but Isack’s maiden F2 victory was something of a damp squib as it came in a 2023 Sprint at Zandvoort that was halted by torrential rain, with no points being awarded. A much better demonstration of his talent came early the following year, at Round 3 in Melbourne.
Isack Hadjar wins F2 in Melbourne - 2024
© Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool
Searing pace in practice was undone by a scrappy final run in Qualifying that left him eighth but from the start of the Sprint Isack was again in a class of his own, powering to a convincing win well clear of his rivals. However, after the race he was handed a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision at the start and he dropped to sixth in the classification.
That disappointment, and the knowledge that he’d start the Feature Race from P8, might have derailed other drivers, but it simply fuelled Isack’s desire to bounce back and with another stunning show of pace – and overtaking skill – he carved his way through the pack to take a superb Sunday victory.
[In the Sprint] I pushed, I didn't back off and honestly, I have to say we destroyed them. The pace was insane, it felt great to win on track and so disappointing to have it taken away...
“[In the Sprint] I pushed, I didn't back off and honestly, I have to say we destroyed them. The pace was insane, it felt great to win on track and so disappointing to have it taken away,” he said afterwards. “The Feature Race was just the cherry on the cake. It feels so good to finally have a bit of luck. It's part of motorsport but I feel like the last year-and-a-half was really tough for me. To finally be rewarded is great.”
04
2025 – Formula 1, Chinese Grand Prix
Isack’s 2024 Formula 2 title charge earned him a move up to F1 with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls for 2025. But his time in the big league started in the worst way possible when, in wet condition, he slid into the barriers on the formation lap.
Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan 2025
© Getty Images | Red Bull Content Pool
The heartbreak might have dented the confidence of others but not Hadjar, and we’re going to choose his next race, in Shanghai, as one of his best that season, simply because of the resilience it showed as he calmly put his VCARB-02 in P7 on the grid and then raced it to cusp of the points on Sunday.
“I always knew I made it to F1 because mentally I think I have an edge on all the other guys, and that's my strength. I think I showed the week after [Australia] that I was mentally up there – straight away,” he said. “I'm so passionate about driving that whatever the result, the session, anything that happens previously, once I'm in the car, I'm always looking at the next corner. That's always what I'm doing.”
05
2025 – Formula 1, Dutch Grand Prix
Number five on this list must be Isack’s first podium in Formula 1. After taking an impressive five points finishes from the first nine races, Isack and VCARB suffered a mid-season slump in which results were hard to come by, and the summer break couldn’t come soon enough.
Isack Hadjar celebrates his first F1 podium in Zandvoort
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
But when the season resumed at Zandvoort, it seemed as if the hard times would continue as P12 in FP1 became P20 in the second session. Undeterred, Isack got his head down with the team, made changes, and on Saturday he roared to a remarkable P4 in Qualifying, beating both Mercedes and both Ferraris.
This is what I've always dreamed of, and it feels incredible, I'm absolutely over the moon...
He comfortably kept them all at bay in the race as well. From the start he closely followed future teammate Max Verstappen for most of the race. Hanging on to P4 would have been reward for a superb drive, but in the closing stages, Lando Norris retired from P2 and Isack crossed the line in P3.
“This is what I've always dreamed of, and it feels incredible, I'm absolutely over the moon,” he said afterwards. “The team has worked so hard to get us here today, and I couldn't be prouder. I didn't expect today's result, but achieving one of my dreams makes it even more special. It was a tough race physically, especially after the break. I had a tricky start, but we did this on pure pace and merit.”
Reflecting on the achievement later, he added: “I learned a lot that weekend. Overnight you can change so many things. We went from the worst Friday ever to our best Saturday and Sunday. So, it taught me a good lesson.”