Red Bull junior ‘ready to go’ takes F2 World Championship lead

Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar.

With no shortage of Red Bull junior options to choose from, Isack Hadjar has boosted his quest for a future VCARB F1 seat by moving to the top of the Formula 2 standings.

Yuki Tsunoda has already been re-signed for the F1 2025 campaign, though the second VCARB seat remains up for grabs with a collection of Red Bull juniors staking their claim.

Isack Hadjar takes over Formula 2 P1 spot

Daniel Ricciardo completes the current VCARB line-up, but with no deal yet signed for F1 2025 – while speculation has emerged that he could replace the struggling Sergio Perez at Red Bull despite his new multi-year deal signed recently – an opening at the Red Bull junior squad could emerge.

Current Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson is considered a frontrunner for any VCARB vacancy, having impressed in the place of the injured Ricciardo last season, while another Red Bull junior in Ayumu Iwasa, currently competing in Super Formula, is a contender.

But Hadjar has potentially raised his stock significantly after a drive from pole to victory in the F2 Silverstone feature race moved him to the top of the standings.

Hadjar, who made his first FP1 appearance of the F1 2024 season with VCARB at Silverstone, was recently named alongside Lawson and Iwasa by CEO Peter Bayer as the trio of Red Bull juniors that are “ready to go” right now should they wish to call upon them.

More on Red Bull F1 driver decisions

Three RB juniors ‘ready to go’ with Daniel Ricciardo help plan revealed

Daniel Ricciardo teases ‘crazy things happen’ over huge Sergio Perez seat swap

Speaking to PlanetF1.com, Bayer was asked about the possibility of Ricciardo losing his seat mid-season, as Red Bull driver programme boss Helmut Marko recently hinted at.

“I don’t know, honestly,” Bayer said.

“What I want to give Daniel is exactly that window of free air to race. We’re not in a hurry. We have Liam. You put him in the car, his seat is ready and everything, you know? He’s gonna start and go.

“We have Isack Hadjar behind him, he did FP1s and his seat is ready in the factory. We have Iwasa ready to go.

“We’re not in a rush in terms of what we need to do as a team – that’s why we’re saying ‘Guys, hold on, we race’. In the summer break, yes, we’ll sit down and discuss.”

Read next: Sergio Perez given firm Christian Horner instruction with Red Bull future on the line