F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Hadjar rewarded as Red Bull confirms unchanged 2027 line-up

Red Bull has ended any lingering uncertainty over its 2027 driver line-up, confirming that Isack Hadjar will remain alongside Max Verstappen for a second season at the Milton Keynes-based outfit team.

The announcement comes as little surprise given the 21-year-old Frenchman’s progress since making the step up from Racing Bulls.

Hadjar has made the notoriously difficult second Red Bull seat his own, producing a string of strong performances despite spending three races on the sidelines with injury.

Hadjar earns another shot alongside Verstappen

Hadjar’s promotion was always going to be a major test. Red Bull’s second cockpit has proved a demanding assignment in recent years, but the Frenchman has steadily silenced any doubts with a level of consistency that has stood out in only his second F1 campaign.

His first Red Bull podium arrived in Monaco, adding to the maiden rostrum he secured with Racing Bulls in 2025.

More impressively, he had put together seven consecutive top-six finishes before his injury-enforced absence from Madrid, Zandvoort and Monza.

Despite missing those three events, Hadjar sits eighth in the championship and has done so while Red Bull has generally lacked the outright pace of the leading teams.

For team boss Laurent Mekies, the decision to keep him was therefore straightforward.

"We’re very excited to continue our journey with Isack," said the Frenchman.

"Since joining us at the start of the year, he has been superb on and off track, especially considering this is only his second Formula 1 season, which made extending his contract an easy decision.

"From the very beginning, Isack immersed himself in the team, spending every minute at the factory with his engineers to develop the car, always eager to learn and improve.

“You could see from that first weekend in Melbourne that he handled the step up with remarkable composure and had earned his place in this seat."

A settled Red Bull partnership for 2027

The confirmation also provides an important piece of stability around Verstappen, who recently committed his own future to Red Bull through 2030.

Hadjar, meanwhile, will now have another season to develop alongside the four-time world champion and deepen his understanding of a team undergoing its own transition towards the next generation of F1 regulations.

"I am really excited to continue with Oracle Red Bull Racing," the 21-year-old said.

"There are so many talented people at the factory, and you’re aware of the privilege of driving for such an incredible team alongside a four-time world champion like Max.

"From the moment I signed, I set out to dedicate myself to the team, and with the support of Laurent and everyone in Milton Keynes, I’ve been able to justify the faith they’ve had in me.

“I’m constantly looking to listen, learn and push myself further every single day, which only makes me more excited about what lies ahead."

With Red Bull now settled, attention shifts to Racing Bulls, where Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are both pushing to remain on the grid while junior driver Nikola Tsolov waits in the wings.

For Hadjar, however, the message is clear: his Red Bull audition is over. The real challenge now is to build on it.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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