Peter Bayer urges Red Bull to hold off on promoting Isack Hadjar, arguing the young talent needs more time to mature in F1.
There appear to be some voices of reason within the larger Red Bull organization when it comes to the short-term future of Isack Hadjar.
Peter Bayer, CEO of Red Bull’s second Formula 1 team, Racing Bulls, has pleaded with the energy drink company to keep Hadjar in his current seat for now.
While Max Verstappen is on the verge of a potential one-race suspension, Red Bull Racing has drawn up a contingency plan in case Yuki Tsunoda needs a short-term teammate replacement.
If Verstappen is suspended, Red Bull will call on one of the Racing Bulls drivers for a single race.
It will either be Liam Lawson, who was demoted by Red Bull Racing this year after two extremely disappointing races, or Isack Hadjar.
Within the sister team, a seat would then open up for Japanese driver Ayumu Iwasa. Some had believed Arvid Lindblad, whose super licence application will soon be reviewed by the FIA despite being only 17, could be a better option.
However, Red Bull states it does not intend to use Lindblad. The exemption request submitted to the FIA was in fact filed several weeks ago, well before the possibility of a Verstappen suspension became apparent.
Red Bull executives Christian Horner and Helmut Marko have praised the performances of the 20-year-old Frenchman so far in 2025, but Peter Bayer, CEO of Racing Bulls, insists Hadjar needs more time.
“For heaven’s sake, don’t take this talent away from us too soon!” Bayer said.
“He should be learning the ropes through to the end of 2026. Until then, we must keep him handcuffed to his seat!”
Bayer clarifies that he does not rule out “a one-race loan” but “does not want to see Hadjar promoted after the summer break or as early as 2026.”
2016 world champion Nico Rosberg fully agrees and describes Verstappen as a “teammate killer” who could seriously damage Hadjar’s otherwise promising career.
“If I were Hadjar, if Red Bull started talking about a promotion, I would turn it down without hesitation. He’s doing so well with Racing Bulls right now that he’s in a great position. In his place, I would immediately say: ‘No way.’”