Rhonan Colquhoun 1:37am 18th July 2024
RED BULL Team Principal Christian Horner has praised another one of the team's junior drivers' and has thrown another name into the pool of drivers looking for a place on the grid in 2025.
In what is already an chaotic and unpredictable driver market, Horner admitted that "there's a chance" that Formula 2 Championship Leader Isack Hadjar could be promoted to F1 next season.
Hadjar, 19, join the Red Bull Driver Program two-and-a-half years ago and is currently leading the F1 feeder series with three victories to his name in his debut season.
Horner praised the French-Algerian racer after he took victory in the Formula 2 Feature Race. He said: "He's doing a good job. He had a good weekend [at Silverstone].
"So, again, he's making a strong case for himself next year, which is why we're not in any rush to finalise seats in the sister team".
Horner and Red Bull have a number of drivers vying for just two seats between the two teams - Red Bull and Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team - for 2025.
Despite Red Bull leading the Constructor's Championship by 71 points over closest rivals Ferrari, the team has seen their lead being chipped away in the past few events with McLaren and Mercedes scoring heavily.
While Reigning Champion Max Verstappen leads the Championship, team-mate Sergio Perez is under increasing pressure to recover from his poor run of races and despite a contract for next season, rumours are growing of a mid-season drop.
With Hadjar's name now seemingly in contention for a spot on the grid, he joins Liam Lawson, Daniel Ricciardo and now Perez, in the fight to secure their futures.
Whilst Yuki Tsunoda is staying on for 2025, Ricciardo's future hangs in the balance. He's been able to improve his form and is the most likely candidate to replace Perez mid-season if that's what Red Bull decide after the Belgian Grand Prix. Lawson would then be best positioned to step into the RB and show his worth.
While Hadjar's Formula 2 track performance and previous success in other racing categories cannot be discounted; there's speculation that Horner is trying to frighten the current drivers and keep them on their toes to perform at their best levels.
Red Bull are notorious for making difficult and harsh decisions when it comes which drivers they want racing for team and their track record proves this; dropping Daniil Kvyat for Verstappen in 2016 and dropping Pierre Gasly for Alexander Albon mid-way through 2019.
To have any chance of a spot on next year's grid with either of Red Bull's two teams, Hadjar will aim to keep continuing his form in Formula 2 first.
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