Why Hadjar’s mum found out about his Red Bull promotion before he did

Isack Hadjar has revealed that his mum found out about his promotion to the Red Bull team before he did, having received a phone call about the news prior to her son.

Following his rookie season with Racing Bulls, it was confirmed ahead of the 2025 finale in Abu Dhabi that Hadjar will make the step up to the sister outfit in 2026, with the Frenchman replacing Yuki Tsunoda as Max Verstappen’s team mate.

Reflecting on the moment he learned of the move, Hadjar explained to Red Bull’s Talking Bull podcast that the first person he called was his mum – only to discover that she already knew.

“She said that she actually got the phone call before I had it,” the 21-year-old said. “She knew before I did, because she’s my manager and she knows more than I do!”

Asked if his mum had wanted him to hear the news from Red Bull first rather than her, Hadjar responded: “Apparently!”

Despite having now known about the promotion for some time, the French racer admitted that he still had some moments of disbelief.

“There’s moments where I’m like, yeah, I do realise what’s happening and I’m up for the challenge and sometimes like, what the hell am I doing here?” he conceded. “It’s so far away from my go-kart days, I’m like, why me? How did I get chosen?

“Of course [I’ve earned it], but I’m incredibly lucky. You need everything to align perfectly. Being good is not enough.”

Hadjar also reflected on his disappointment at finishing in 12th place of the Drivers' Championship in 2025, though acknowledged that the result ultimately did not affect his future.

“P9 or P12 or whatever, I ticked all the boxes I needed to to get the promotion,” the new Red Bull driver said. “It wouldn’t change my life, even if I was seventh. It wouldn’t change my 2026 season and my future, so in the end I’m okay with that."