Isack Hadjar earns Red Bull extension before Bahrain GP

Isack Hadjar will remain with Red Bull for another season, ending uncertainty around his future before the Bahrain Grand Prix. The decision rewards a strong return from a wrist injury and gives the French driver greater security for the rest of the campaign.

Hadjar missed three races before finishing third at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend, behind George Russell and team-mate Max Verstappen. He then set the third-fastest qualifying time in Bahrain, trailing Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, although a penalty means he will start the race from eighth place.

The results have strengthened his position within Red Bull. Team principal Laurent Mekies said Hadjar had made steady progress from the beginning of the season and praised the speed, race reading and control he showed in Baku despite coming back from injury. Red Bull had already decided that his development justified a quick renewal.

Mekies also said the extension was intended to remove doubts that might have followed the wrist problem and allow Hadjar, as well as the team around him, to work with more confidence. His podium on return and front-running pace in Bahrain qualifying suggest that the injury has not disrupted his momentum, even though the penalty will leave him outside the leading three on the grid.