Young Star Hadjar Claims Latifi’s Vacant Number 6

Isack Hadjar joins F1 with Racing Bulls, showcasing speed and ambition while aiming to refine emotional control for top-level success.

Isack Hadjar has been officially announced by Racing Bulls to make his F1 debut next year. The French driver celebrated this opportunity and shared a photo online of his debut, featuring the number 6, which he will inherit after it was vacated by Nicholas Latifi at the end of 2022.

The arrival of the Frenchman might appear to be a gamble for Racing Bulls and the Red Bull program, as he is still young and fiery. However, Red Bull Racing’s team principal, Christian Horner, expressed confidence in the young driver’s ability to settle down.

“He’s a raw talent, he needs refining, but he has the speed. In Formula 2, he was unlucky not to win the title in the final race due to technical issues with the starting line software, as I understand it, but he also impressed. His speed is particularly striking. It will be interesting to see how things unfold,” said the Briton.

Helmut Marko also assessed Hadjar’s talent on the Inside Line F1 podcast, admitting that the academy prospect will need to calm down: “First of all, I must say Isack lost over 80 points due to technical issues. Staying motivated and maintaining his speed was already a big achievement.”

“Isack is fast, but he needs to control his emotions and focus. For example, in Monaco, there was a safety car, and suddenly it ended up right in front of him. He was complaining and lamenting. Why? Instead, the guy ahead had cold tires. He should have attacked instead of getting worked up over the radio.”

“Overall, he needs to focus on the important things and make fewer mistakes, like the spin he had during the Abu Dhabi test. I think he spun during Friday practice as well. He needs to be more consistent, but the speed and everything else are there. The rest will come with experience.”