Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has made clear that the future of rookie sensation Isack Hadjar will not be decided anytime soon, insisting that discussions around a possible Red Bull promotion for 2026 will only take place “much later in the season.”
The 19-year-old Frenchman has impressed in his debut campaign, bouncing back from early setbacks to claim a maiden Formula 1 podium at Zandvoort and stringing together consistent performances.
With Yuki Tsunoda’s form under scrutiny alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, speculation around Hadjar’s next career step has intensified — but Permane urged patience.
“Much later in the season”
When asked whether Hadjar is ready for a seat at Red Bull, Permane was non-committal in his response.
“I think that’s a tricky one at this time of year and, fortunately, we don’t have to make that decision at this time of year,” he said. “I’m very sure, and I think it’s been said, that it’ll be much later in the season.”
©RB
He emphasized that the focus now is on giving the rookie every chance to succeed at Racing Bulls.
“What we have to do for Isack is make sure that we, as the trackside team, deliver perfection for him, so that he’s got a car that he can perform well in, and he needs to perform well. He needs to deliver perfection as well,” the Briton added.
“We’ve seen that when he does that, and when the car is right and suits the circuit and he puts it all together, we can have a super-strong weekend.”
A Rookie Willing to Learn
Beyond results, Permane highlighted Hadjar’s openness and maturity as standout qualities.
“One thing I like about him is that he’s ready to listen, he’s ready to accept advice and help. He doesn’t want to do everything his own way,” he said.
“He knows he’s done 16 races, so he’s happy to accept advice and input from others, and take that on board and learn from that.
“We can see that sometimes he’s a little bit harsh on himself, which he’s working on, but strength-wise, that would be the main takeaway, that he’s happy to learn.”
Lawson Also Under Pressure
With Red Bull and Racing Bulls evaluating options for the future, other names such as Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad and current incumbent Liam Lawson have been linked to seats within the setup.
Asked about Lawson’s prospects, Permane offered similar advice.
“I think the same as Isack, the same as all the other 19 drivers are trying to do is to try and execute perfect race weekends,” he said.
“No one is going to be bringing more upgrades – or I doubt very much that anyone is going to be bringing more upgrades – so we’ve got what we’ve got at the track.
“We’ve got the car that we’ve got and so it’s for him, his engineers, and the support that we have back from the UK and Faenza, to deliver as close to a perfect car for him, and he needs to deliver perfect race weekends.”
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
