Why Isack Hadjar has already made F1 history for 2025 by following in Nico Rosberg’s footsteps

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The Formula 1 grid is finally complete after Racing Bulls – previously known as RB – confirmed their driver line-up for 2025.

The 2024 season ended with speculation mounting about Sergio Perez’s position at Red Bull and whether either RB driver would be promoted in his place.

When Perez’s exit from Red Bull was confirmed, the decision Red Bull had to make was between calling up Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson.

Lawson got the nod, but in the process, this opened up a second seat at Racing Bulls for 2025.

Red Bull decided to promote from within and Isack Hadjar was the driver that benefitted from the merry-go-round within both teams.

Hadjar finished second in Formula 2 in 2024, missing out on the title to new Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto.

They’ll be able to compete once again on the Formula 1 grid next year, although the Frenchman should have an immediate advantage based on how their teams fared this season.

Isack Hadjar set to make Formula 1 history with his driver number in 2025

Hadjar has been learning from Sebastian Vettel’s race engineer which should help him settle into life in F1 quickly.

Red Bull weren’t convinced by Hadjar’s previous FP1 runs, but he’ll have a day-and-a-half of running in pre-season to get up to speed with Racing Bull’s 2025 car before the season begins.

When he arrives on the grid, Hadjar will be racing with the number six on his car.

Since the start of the 2014 season, drivers have been able to select the number they run on their cars.

This has become part of their personal brands, with Lewis Hamilton synonymous with the number 44 – using it even when he was world champion – and Fernando Alonso associated with 14.

However, a number is only reserved for a driver for two years after they leave the sport.

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When Nico Rosberg retired immediately after winning the 2016 championship, his number six was retained until the beginning of the 2019 campaign.

It popped up again in 2020 when new Williams driver Nicholas Latifi picked it up.

Its final appearance on the grid came in 2021 when Latifi’s late crash set off the chain reaction of events that won Max Verstappen his first championship.

Three full seasons have passed without Latifi returning, meaning the number six is now up for grabs and Hadjar hasn’t hesitated to pick it up.

It means the number six is the first number to be used by three different drivers since the change was made 11 seasons ago.

Isack Hadjar avoids argument over racing number ahead of 2025 F1 debut

Hadjar hasn’t given an official reason yet as to why he’s chosen the number six.

However, an Instagram post he shared shows the youngster sitting in a kart bestowed with that number.

Kimi Antonelli and Jack Doohan both wanted the same number, but in the end, the Italian beat the Alpine driver to the punch to use the number 12.

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Mercedes moved quickly to guarantee Antonelli’s number before Doohan had officially been confirmed for 2025.

However, in an odd twist of fate, Doohan ended up making his Formula 1 debut at the end of 2024, meaning he should have had the chance to race with the number 12 before Antonelli.

Almost all of the new drivers on the grid have chosen small numbers, reminiscent of when numbers were handed out based on Constructors’ Championship position, rather than personal choice.

They’ll all be carefully planned to become part of a marketing campaign to help each driver reach a growing number of fans.