Red Bull Racing has officially announced that Isack Hadjar will stay alongside four‑time world champion Max Verstappen as the team’s second driver for the 2027 Formula 1 campaign. The French youngster, who made his debut with the senior squad at the start of the current year after a standout rookie season with Racing Bulls in 2025, missed the final three rounds of the season because of a wrist injury sustained during a summer‑break training session. He has now recovered sufficiently to return to the cockpit for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
The confirmation of Hadjar’s contract extension comes on the heels of Red Bull’s earlier announcement that Verstappen has signed a new deal that will keep him at the team until at least the close of the 2030 season. Team principal Laurent Mekies praised the French driver, saying, “We are thrilled to continue our journey with Isack.
Since he joined us at the beginning of the year, he has been exemplary both on‑track and off‑track, especially considering this is only his second year in Formula 1. Extending his contract was therefore an easy decision.” Mekies added that Hadjar threw himself into the Red Bull operation from day one, spending countless hours in the Milton Keynes factory collaborating with his engineers on car development. “He is always eager to learn and improve,” Mekies noted. “You could see from his debut weekend in Melbourne that he handled the step up with remarkable composure and quickly earned his place in this seat.” The second seat at Red Bull is widely regarded as the most demanding on the grid.
Former teammates such as Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have all found it difficult to match Verstappen’s pace. Hadjar, however, has already shown he can compete closely with the Dutchman, even edging him on a few occasions this season, which has insulated his position from the usual scrutiny that follows any Red Bull second driver.
Despite missing the last three races, Hadjar remains eighth in the Drivers’ Championship. He also reclaimed a podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix after Red Bull and McLaren successfully appealed the reversal of Pierre Gasly’s penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane.
Mekies described the period following Hadjar’s injury as “a tough time for Isack, but this contract extension demonstrates how much confidence we have in his abilities and our belief in his future.” Sky Sports F1 analyst Craig Slater explained the circumstances of Hadjar’s injury, noting that the driver damaged his wrist while striking a heavy bag during his boxing training regimen. “He has recovered, is back for the Azerbaijan round, and will partner Max Verstappen in 2027,” Slater said.
“Liam Lawson performed admirably in his absence, but nobody was surprised that Hadjar received the nod to stay. He has probably been Verstappen’s most competitive teammate since Daniel Ricciardo left the team.” Hadjar himself expressed enthusiasm about the extension: “I am extremely excited to continue with Oracle Red Bull Racing.
I joined the team eight months ago and immediately grasped the scale and ambition of the organisation. There are so many talented people at the factory, and I am aware of the privilege of driving for such an incredible team alongside a four‑time world champion like Max. From the moment I signed, I pledged to give everything to the team, and with the support of Laurent and everyone in Milton Keynes, I have been able to justify the faith they placed in me.
Every day I strive to listen, learn and push myself further.” The driver line‑ups for the sport’s current top four teams—Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull—are now locked in for 2027 with no announced changes. Alpine, Williams and Cadillac have also confirmed their 2027 drivers, while Audi plans to retain Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg as its pair. The remaining three teams—Racing Bulls, Haas and Aston Martin—have yet to finalize their driver rosters, leaving room for potential movement. Fernando Alonso remains a wild card; his decision on whether to continue racing will heavily influence the Aston Martin seat.
Alonso has hinted that a decision will not come soon, citing dissatisfaction with the current regulations and the ongoing debate about Honda’s engine supply to Aston Martin. In the mid‑field, Britain’s Oliver Bearman is expected to stay at Haas, while teammate Esteban Ocon is looking toward his future after a challenging start to the season.
Haas may also consider giving a debut to Ferrari junior Rafael Camara for 2027, following his impressive performances in Formula 2. Red Bull’s junior programme continues to produce talent, with Nikola Tsolov leading the F2 championship and likely to receive an F1 opportunity in the near future.
However, Red Bull faces a difficult choice because both of its current Racing Bulls drivers, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, have delivered strong performances this year, making the prospect of dropping either driver a delicate decision. The upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend will feature a packed schedule, including multiple Formula 2 sessions and the main F1 events.
The timetable is as follows: Thursday 24 September – F2 practice, Azerbaijan GP practice one, F2 qualifying, team‑boss press conference, Azerbaijan GP practice two, and the F1 Show. Friday 25 September – F2 sprint, Azerbaijan GP practice three, F2 Feature Race 1, Azerbaijan GP qualifying build‑up, and the official qualifying session.
Saturday 26 September – F2 Feature Race 2, the Grand Prix itself, post‑race reaction, and Ted’s Notebook analysis. All sessions will be streamed live on Sky Sports Main Event, with the option to watch via the NOW platform without a long‑term contract.
The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to deliver excitement, and the confirmation of Hadjar’s future at Red Bull adds another compelling storyline as the sport heads toward the 2027 calendar.