Formula 1 fans will be treated to a new face during FP1 at the Mexican Grand Prix at the weekend. Isack Hadjar, 19, will be behind the wheel of Yuki Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri and the French-Algerian is tipped for a big future in F1 by Red Bull’s Helmut Marko, earning the nickname “little Prost”.
Red Bull boasts arguably the most productive junior set-up in the sport and Hadjar is one of many talents on the team’s books. Hadjar, in his first season under Red Bull’s wing, won three races in his rookie F3 campaign, finishing P4 in the 2022 standings.
Now in F2 racing for Hitech Pulse-Eight, Hadjar has accumulated one win and 47 points and is even ahead of Ferrari F1 star Charles Leclerc’s younger brother, Arthur Leclerc. Hadjar has even been likened to F1 legend Alain Prost. “First and foremost the Frenchman Isack Hadjar, whom I call the little Prost because he looks like the big one,” Red Bull’s Marko said when assessing the team’s young talent.
Marko has even previously hinted that F1 fans could see Hadjar in the big leagues in 2024 at the earliest. However, he may have to wait a season longer with AlphaTauri’s driver line-up for next season confirmed to be Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo. Liam Lawson also impressed during a short stint in F1 this season in place of the injured Honey Badger.
“If he performs well in F2, there is a good chance that Isack Hadjar could be seen in F1 in 2024,” Marko said. Hadjar getting behind the wheel of the AlphaTauri this weekend shows that support under the Red Bull motorsport umbrella remains strong.
It has been reported that Hadjar will also get behind the wheel of either Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez’s Red Bull in Abu Dhabi. He will be joined by reigning Formula E champion Jake Dennis in driving the cars during FP1.
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Hadjar himself is keen to get to F1 as soon as possible. “My goal is to just have a really strong season and step up to F1,” explained the Frenchman to F2’s website. “It would be great to just spend one year in F2, that would be ideal and then go to F1. That’s the main goal, so we’ll give it everything.”
He added: “I’m just really happy to be part of Red Bull, it’s great! I’m happy to have great drivers in the same academy as me, it pushes me to be even better. I just hope to beat them all, that’s the target. It doesn’t bother me so much; I’m just focused on performing.”
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