Isack Hadjar faces an ‘extremely poor’ outcome that would prevent a 2026 Red Bull promotion

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Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar has been one of the standout drivers of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Isack Hadjar was the final driver to be confirmed for the 2025 season after Red Bull decided to part ways with Sergio Perez.

That led to a chain reaction of events that saw Liam Lawson briefly promoted to Red Bull before being replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, and a spare seat existing at Racing Bulls.

Hadjar had finished second in the Formula 2 championship behind Gabriel Bortoleto after a heartbreaking final race in Abu Dhabi.

Red Bull had initial doubts about Hadjar, and his crash on the formation lap at the Australian Grand Prix immediately set off alarm bells.

Helmut Marko was far from impressed with Hadjar, but his performances since that unfortunate moment in Melbourne have been superb.

His podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix was remarkable and means he’s beaten Tsunoda and Lawson to achieve that accolade.

Hadjar has been named as the frontrunner to earn a Red Bull promotion in 2026, with concerns over Tsunoda’s performances not going away.

However, there is one scenario that could see him miss out, although whether that would be the worst outcome is another matter.

READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls 2025 F1 driver Isack Hadjar? Everything you need to know

Isack Hadjar could miss out on Red Bull promotion with ‘extremely poor’ end to 2025 season

A report from Sky Sports F1 has shared more details on the Red Bull driver conundrum.

‘Rumours have been rife’ that Hadjar is due to be promoted, and British teenager Arvid Lindblad is being prepared as his replacement.

Tsunoda’s P6 finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a long-overdue strong performance from the Japanese driver, but was overshadowed by Lawson finishing ahead of him in the Racing Bulls.

It’s believed that Hadjar would need to ‘endure an extremely poor end to the season’ to convince Red Bull’s owners not to promote him at the end of the year.

This leaves Red Bull trying to decide between Tsunoda, Lawson and Lindblad for the two Racing Bulls seats, although if Hadjar is suddenly determined not to be prepared for a promotion, then the situation gets far more complicated.

Lawson’s position at Racing Bulls has ‘strengthened’ recently, as he’s essentially closed the gap to Hadjar after taking time to adapt to a new car.

Whoever misses out within the current group of Red Bull drivers, it appears as though their options elsewhere are limited.

Alpine will choose between Franco Colapinto and Paul Aron, while Mercedes will eventually confirm George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Ralf Schumacher bets on Isack Hadjar’s promotion to Red Bull next season

Hadjar has driven in such a way this season that it’s hard to see him regress to the point where Red Bull wouldn’t want to promote him.

He’s only been eliminated in Q1 once this season, and stands a good chance of finishing in the top 10 of the drivers’ championship during his rookie campaign.

Ralf Schumacher is sure Hadjar will be promoted at the end of the season, with a decision expected to be made around the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The Frenchman faces a set of races where he is far less experienced in the build-up to that decision.

However, that hasn’t slowed him down yet, and while he won’t be expected to match Max Verstappen next year, he could be the solution to their second seat conundrum.