Permane insists decision on Hadjar future to come ‘much later in the season’

Racing Bulls Team Principal Alan Permane expects a decision on the future of rookie driver Isack Hadjar will come ‘much later in the season’, amid reports that a move to Red Bull for 2026 could be on the cards.

Hadjar is one of the standout performers among the crop of rookies this season, bouncing back from a formation lap crash in Australia to secure a maiden podium in Zandvoort, with plenty of other eye-catching performances along the way.

With Yuki Tsunoda struggling alongside Max Verstappen, Hadjar's chances of sitting alongside the four-time Champion next year appear to be growing, though the Frenchman denied reports ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that a deal had already been signed.

Asked if his driver was ready to make the step up from Racing Bulls to Red Bull, Permane said: “I think that’s a tricky one at this time of year and, fortunately, we don’t have to make that decision at this time of year. I’m very sure, and I think it’s been said, that it’ll be much later in the season.

“What we have to do for Isack is make sure that we, as the trackside team, deliver perfection for him, so that he’s got a car that he can perform well in, and he needs to perform well. He needs to deliver perfection as well.

“We’ve seen that when he does that, and when the car is right and suits the circuit and he puts it all together, we can have a super-strong weekend.”

Praising Hadjar’s speed, Permane added: “One thing I like about him is that he’s ready to listen, he’s ready to accept advice and help. He doesn’t want to do everything his own way.

"He knows he’s done 16 races, so he’s happy to accept advice and input from others, and take that on board and learn from that.

“We can see that sometimes he’s a little bit harsh on himself, which he’s working on, but strength-wise, that would be the main takeaway, that he’s happy to learn.”

With reports also suggesting that Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad could himself step up to Racing Bulls in place of Hadjar, the team may end up facing a decision between former driver Tsunoda or incumbent Liam Lawson for the second seat.

Advising how Lawson can best convince the team of his credentials, Permane said: “I think the same as Isack, the same as all the other 19 drivers are trying to do is to try and execute perfect race weekends.

“No one is going to be bringing more upgrades – or I doubt very much that anyone is going to be bringing more upgrades – so we’ve got what we’ve got at the track.

"We’ve got the car that we’ve got and so it’s for him, his engineers, and the support that we have back from the UK and Faenza, to deliver as close to a perfect car for him, and he needs to deliver perfect race weekends.”