Red Bull boss highlights Isack Hadjar's special feat that 'turned heads'
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner highlighted a key aspect that set Isack Hadjar apart from Yuki Tsunoda. The 51-year-old claimed that the 20-year-old rookie driver beat the Japanese driver in a post-season test at Abu Dhabi, and his pace, talent, and timings turned heads.
In a significant update, the energy drink-backed outfit announced a significant shake-up in their drivers' lineup for the main team as well as the sister team. Red Bull replaced Sergio Perez with Liam Lawson, whereas the New Zealander's void in VCARB will be filled by F2 rookie and the team's junior driver, Isack Hadjar.
While Lawson's promotion drew a harsh reaction from the fans, Hadjar happened to be the best fit for the sister team. He finished as runner-up in the 2024 F2 drivers championship after a mechanical failure led to a heartbreaking DNF at the final race of the season.
However, Red Bull allowed the 20-year-old to participate in the post-season testing at Yas Marina Circuit. In a recent interview with Racer.com, Christian Horner revealed that Isack turned heads in Abu Dhabi as he finished quicker than Yuki Tsunoda during the testing. He explained that Hadjar is a raw talent with great pace but needs polishing to be consistent in F1.
"Isack, he’s another talent — he jumped in the car, he was faster than Yuki in the test last week, which turned heads. He’s definitely a raw talent — he needs a little bit of polishing, but he has the speed," said Horner.
Horner also expressed regret for the technical failure that hampered Isack Hadjar's championship campaign in F2.
"He was unfortunate in Formula 2 to miss out [on the title] at the last race due to technical glitches with start-line software, from what I understand, but he’s impressed as well. Particularly with his speed. It will be interesting to see how things pan out," he added.
Yuki Tsunoda also featured in the post-season test and finished P17 after driving the RB20 for over 120 laps. However, his performance proved not good enough for Red Bull as they chose Lawson over him. The New Zealander has driven just 11 races in F1 while the Japanese driver has been associated with Red Bull since 2021.
Christian Horner leaves Red Bull doors open for Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda, driving for Red Bull's sister team VCARB since 2021, was overlooked for a promotion, sparking widespread debate from fans. However, team principal Christian Horner has left a pathway open for him for the future.
Speaking to Racer.com, the 51-year-old claimed that Tsunoda is determined and dynamics tend to change quickly in F1. He cited the example of Liam Lawson, who has been promoted to the main team after 11 races.
"[Tsunoda]’s very determined; he knows that things change very quickly. Who would’ve thought nine months ago we’d be sitting here talking about Liam Lawson being our driver for 2025? Things change quickly in this industry and he’s aware of that and knows that he needs to be the one demonstrating that he’s the one knocking on the door," Horner said.
Meanwhile, with Yuki's contract expiring by the end of the 2025 season, speculations over his exit have been rife, especially after Horner and Co. rejected his candidature as Sergio Perez's replacement.