Red Bull decide ‘incredible’ driver Helmut Marko admires will not have F1 seat in 2025

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Red Bull have decided that one driver whom Helmut Marko rates will not get a seat on the Formula 1 grid in 2025 amid ongoing doubt for Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo.

Question marks continue to follow two halves of the current Red Bull and Visa Cash App RB line-ups. While Red Bull gave Perez a two-year contract extension in June, his form after the 34-year-old put pen to paper suggested the team from Milton Keynes made a huge mistake.

Ricciardo is even still fighting for his future in Formula 1 with the 35-year-old out of contract with RB beyond this season. But the Australian’s improved results before the summer break put him in contention for a promotion if Red Bull had elected to pay Perez to leave the team.

Red Bull are not considering Isack Hadjar for a 2025 Formula 1 seat

Red Bull are in the unusual situation of having two teams to put their drivers, with Visa Cash App RB still the effective junior team. But as well as Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda being under contract for 2025, Red Bull must decide the roles Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar merit.

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

RB took up their option to keep Tsunoda for 2025 in June, making it a three-way fight for the seat Ricciardo currently holds with the Australian, Lawson and F2 title contender Hadjar. The chance even remains that Ricciardo replaces Perez for Red Bull if his form does not improve.

But Lawrence Barretto now reports that Hadjar is not actually in contention for a seat on the 2025 Formula 1 grid at either Red Bull or Visa Cash App RB. Instead, Red Bull will hand Perez every chance to recover his results or will promote Ricciardo with Lawson primed to join RB.

Isack Hadjar has impressed Helmut Marko fighting for the F2 title

Hadjar emerged as a potential option for Ricciardo’s seat at Visa Cash App RB in 2025 as the 19-year-old has become a title threat in Formula 2 this season. The Frenchman was only 14th in the standings last term but currently heads the junior series after 20 of the 28 races.

F2’s new car has suited Hadjar and Campos Racing well to claim four wins, all of which came in Feature Races. But Red Bull are not actively considering him for a Formula 1 drive, despite Helmut Marko stating Hadjar is ‘fulfilling our expectations’ and admiring his ‘incredible’ skill.

Instead, Lawson still has great stock with Red Bull following his stand-in displays in 2023 at RB after Ricciardo broke a hand. So, the 22-year-old would take Ricciardo’s RB seat if Perez fails to bounce back from failing to finish higher than seventh in the past eight Grand Prix.