Red Bull has officially confirmed that Isack Hadjar will stay alongside Max Verstappen as his teammate for the 2027 Formula 1 campaign. The French driver, who joined the team at the beginning of the current season after a standout rookie year with Racing Bulls in 2025, missed the final three rounds because of a wrist injury sustained during a summer training session. He has now recovered sufficiently to return to competition at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
The announcement comes shortly after Red Bull confirmed last month that four‑time world champion Max Verstappen has extended his contract to remain with the squad until at least the end of 2030. Team principal Laurent Mekies praised Hadjar’s progress, saying, “We are thrilled to keep Isack with us. Since his arrival at the start of the year he has impressed both on‑track and off‑track, especially given this is only his second season in Formula 1. Extending his deal was therefore a straightforward decision.” Mekies added that Hadjar threw himself into the team culture from day one, spending countless hours in the Milton Keynes factory working side‑by‑side with his engineers to develop the car.
“He showed remarkable composure in his debut weekend in Melbourne, handling the step up to a Red Bull machine with poise and quickly earning his place in the seat,” Mekies explained. The second Red Bull seat is widely regarded as the most demanding on the grid. Former drivers such as Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have all struggled to match Verstappen’s pace.
Hadjar, however, has consistently been closer to the Dutchman than many of his predecessors and even managed to out‑qualify or out‑race him on a few occasions this season, reducing the pressure on his position. Despite the three‑race absence, Hadjar remains eighth in the Drivers’ Championship and reclaimed a podium finish at Monaco after Red Bull and McLaren successfully appealed the reversal of Pierre Gasly’s speeding penalties. Mekies noted, “The period following his injury has been challenging for Isack, but this contract extension demonstrates our confidence in his talent and our desire to see him back on the track as soon as possible.” Sky Sports F1 analyst Craig Slater commented, “Hadjar missed the last three rounds after hurting his arm and wrist while hitting a heavy bag during his boxing training.
He’s recovered and will line up beside Verstappen in 2027. Liam Lawson filled in admirably, but no one was surprised to see Hadjar retain the seat. He’s probably been Verstappen’s most competitive teammate since Daniel Ricciardo left.” Hadjar himself expressed enthusiasm about staying with Oracle Red Bull Racing: “I’m incredibly excited to continue with the team. I joined eight months ago and immediately grasped the scale and ambition of the operation.
There are so many talented people at the factory, and it’s a privilege to drive for such an extraordinary outfit alongside a four‑time champion like Max. From the moment I signed, I committed myself to the team, and with the support of Laurent and everyone in Milton Keynes, I’ve been able to justify the faith they placed in me.
Every day I aim to listen, learn and push myself further.” When asked about the contract negotiations at the drivers’ press conference in Baku, Hadjar said he was completely relaxed about the talks and was unaware of the exact length of the new deal. “I didn’t even discuss it. I let my people handle the negotiations.
I focus on the racing, and that’s it. It was very easy,” he explained. When pressed about whether the agreement was a multi‑year contract, he replied, “I don’t really know.
I don’t care. If you’re good, you stay, and that’s all.” Regarding his wrist injury, Hadjar described a small fracture outside the wrist that required no surgery but a lengthy natural healing process.
“It’s still a bit painful, but after six weeks it’s strong enough to handle the stresses of racing. I tested the simulator and it felt almost identical to the cockpit, so I’m confident the car will be fine.” He admitted the training sessions had been dull because he could not use his left arm much, but he is now back to full fitness. The injury occurred during a routine boxing workout. Red Bull has not imposed any new restrictions on his training regimen, though Hadjar said he will be more cautious in the future: “Next time I’ll think twice, maybe strap my wrist, but there are no formal limits.
I’m not a child; I just need to be smarter about it.” Across the sport, the top four teams—Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull—have already locked in their driver line‑ups for 2027. Alpine, Williams and Cadillac also have contracts in place, while Audi will keep Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg together.
The remaining teams—Racing Bulls, Haas and Aston Martin—still have open seats, and the market could see movement. Fernando Alonso remains the biggest wildcard; his decision to stay or retire will dictate whether Aston Martin has an opening. Alonso has hinted that a decision won’t come soon, expressing dissatisfaction with current regulations, a stance that has drawn comments from FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem about accelerating the deficit of Aston Martin’s Honda engine supplier. In other news, Britain’s Oliver Bearman is expected to remain at Haas, while teammate Esteban Ocon may be displaced if Haas promotes Ferrari junior Rafael Camara for his F1 debut in 2027 after an impressive Formula 2 campaign.
Red Bull’s own junior Nikola Tsolov leads the F2 championship, and the team traditionally promotes its junior talent quickly, though they face a difficult choice between current Racing Bulls drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, both of whom have performed strongly this year. The upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend schedule is as follows: Thursday, 24 September – F2 practice, qualifying, and team bosses’ press conference; Friday, 25 September – F2 sprint, further practice, F2 feature race and F1 qualifying sessions; Saturday, 26 September – F2 feature race, Grand Prix start, and post‑race analysis; Sunday – the main Grand Prix event with live coverage on Sky Sports Main Event. The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 throughout the week, with the Azerbaijan round kicking off a triple‑header of races.
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