Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar has dismissed speculation that he has signed with Red Bull Racing for 2026, insisting that he won’t be distracted by talk of a promotion to the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
The French-Algerian driver, however, hinted that he already has a sense of which team he will be driving for next year.
After the recent Italian Grand Prix, a report from Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport suggested Hadjar would partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull from 2026, with junior Arvid Lindblad joining Racing Bulls in the second seat alongside Liam Lawson.
Asked on Thursday in Baku ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix if he knew his future, Hadjar replied: “No. But I have an idea, but I don’t know.”
When the 19-year-old was pressed on the rumors linking him to Red Bull Racing, he offered a lighthearted response.
“I don’t care,” he said with a laugh. “I really don’t care, you know, I had like five days off at home, I had other things to do than scrolling on Instagram.”
Hadjar’s performances this year have earned the teenager a lot of attention. He scored his maiden podium at the Dutch Grand Prix with a third-place finish and sits ninth in the championship with 38 points after a string of strong results.
Reflecting recently on his readiness for a top seat, Hadjar made his position clear, for the short-term as well as for the mid-term.
“At the start of the year, you were asking me if I was feeling ready to jump in the Red Bull this year, and the answer is still ‘no’. I don’t see the point of doing that right now,” he said.
“But ‘26 is a different question because it’s a brand-new start for the team, there won’t be this talk of a ‘second car thing’. This won’t be a thing because it’s a brand-new car for everyone.
“You actually will be in a phase where you need to direct the car into the right direction, so I think this is actually interesting.”
Read also:
Lawson tips Hadjar for Red Bull seat in 2026: ‘He’s ready’
There is a certain irony playing out at Red Bull: the same relentless pursuit of…
There was a time when former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo thrived on instinct, late braking,…
A sense of unease is beginning to settle over Audi’s fledgling Formula 1 campaign, as…
Alpine has turned to social media to address the storm of backlash following last weekend’s…
F1 legend Sir Jack Brabham, one of Australia's greatest sportsmen, was born on this day…
Feast your eyes on the Genesis GMR-001, the sleek new titan ready to shake up…