Red Bull’s driver swap after the Chinese Grand Prix weekend may have showcased the uncertainty drivers face in a competitive sport like Formula One. But its junior F1 team driver from Racing Bulls, Isack Hadjar, seems unfazed by the driver changes happening around him, despite his DNF from the season opener in Australia.
Liam Lawson was assessed alongside Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls (then VCARB) last year for a potential promotion to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen. Sergio Pérez, who was Verstappen’s teammate back then, was reportedly struggling with the RB20 F1 car due to balance problems.
Despite Verstappen winning his fourth championship last year, Pérez’s lackluster performance contributed to Red Bull losing the Constructors’ Championship. As a result, the team parted ways with him, opting for Lawson over Tsunoda. Meanwhile, junior driver Hadjar was promoted from Formula Two to F1, filling Lawson’s spot alongside Tsunoda.
However, after just two races of the 2025 season, Red Bull made a U-turn on its decision and demoted Lawson back to Racing Bulls, while Tsunoda was promoted alongside Verstappen. One can imagine that 20-year-old Hadjar, who watched the driver swap unfold beside him, might have come under a bit of pressure, considering Red Bull’s swift action against underperformance. However, that isn’t the case. Speaking to the media ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Hadjar said:
“A bit sad [that Tsunoda] left [for Red Bull], but it’s definitely gonna be a, a challenge and I know he’s been ready and waiting for it.
“And I think it’s really cool as well that he gets the call for his home race. So, yeah, wish him the best.”
When asked if the rapid driver change created any pressure or unsettled him, he said:
“It’s not concerning me at all, no.”
Newsweek Sports previously reported Red Bull team principal Christian Horner’s statement after the driver swap, stressing that the decision to replace Lawson with Tsunoda was based on sporting reasons.
“It has been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 at the first two races and as a result we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch,” Horner said. “We came into the 2025 season, with two ambitions, to retain the world drivers’ championship and to reclaim the world constructors’ title and this is a purely sporting decision.
“We acknowledge there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21 and Yuki’s experience will prove highly beneficial in helping to develop the current car. We welcome him to the team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21.
“We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam and together, we see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so Liam can gain experience, as he continues his F1 career with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well.”
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