Racing Bulls boss quizzed on Isack Hadjar future amid Red Bull rumours
Isack Hadjar has been linked with a step up to Red Bull next season.
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane does not yet know whether or not Isack Hadjar will move to Red Bull next season, opting for caution when asked if he is ready for such a step.
Hadjar’s performances this season have seen him linked with a potential switch to partner Max Verstappen next season, with Yuki Tsunoda currently looking to hold onto the second Red Bull cockpit into next year.
Permane: Isack Hadjar future ‘not up to me’ as Red Bull rumours persist
Three of the four seats within the Red Bull stable are as-yet uncontracted for next season, with Verstappen’s deal taking him until the end of 2028 with Red Bull.
Hadjar’s Racing Bulls teammate, Liam Lawson, said it is a normal part of being within the Red Bull family that decisions get made later on in a season, though Hadjar recently stated he knows he will be in Formula 1 next season, but does not yet know which team with which that will be.
Permane spoke of the pride the team has at seeing young drivers get ready for the step up, but cannot yet shed more light on the situation himself.
“We don’t know what will happen yet,” Permane acknowledged to the Italian arm of Motorsport.com when asked about Hadjar.
“If he stays with us, we will obviously be happy; if he gets promoted, we will be very proud of the work we have done, but it’s not up to me to make these decisions.
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“I can’t say anything else about it, except that our job is to prepare young drivers as best we can for the next step.”
Hadjar has become increasingly linked with a possible step up to a Red Bull seat next season, having recovered from an early setback by spinning out on the formation lap in Australia to establishing himself as a consistent performer across the year.
With Racing Bulls having acted as Red Bull’s de facto ‘junior’ team through its various guises, the next logical step for which their drivers aim is a berth at Red Bull itself.
With 20 races under his belt, Permane was cautious when asked if Hadjar is ready to step up to a Red Bull seat, but that he will receive Racing Bulls’ backing whatever happens.
“I have to weigh my words carefully, because it’s not up to me to say whether he’s ready or not,” Permane explained.
“I believe that a driver is constantly learning; throughout his career, he will never stop learning.
“This year, we have seen how even a seven-time world champion continues to improve, race after race, so I think it is difficult to determine how ‘ready’ a driver really is.
“I can say that Isack is very fast, eager to grow, tenacious and very strong mentally. I would add that the day he changes teams, he will have our full support.”
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