Formula 1 News: Marko sees ‘big things’ in Hadjar’s F1 future

(GMM) Racing Bulls F1 rookie Isack Hadjar is a true star of the future, according to Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko.

Liam Lawson started the season as Max Verstappen’s teammate at the senior team, but struggled so badly that he was replaced after just two races by Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda.

Marko says the Japanese will definitely stay in the sister car for the rest of 2025.

He is even tipping Tsunoda to score points this weekend in Bahrain. “He showed in Suzuka that he has the speed,” Marko told Osterreich newspaper.

“Now he just needs to minimize his mistakes.”

In the very same answer, however, Marko made sure to mention how impressed he has been so far with French-Algerian rookie Hadjar, 20.

“With Hadjar, big things are on the horizon.”

The 81-year-old also told Sky Deutschland in Bahrain: “Hadjar is the surprise of the season. He’s the one with the fewest test kilometers in Formula 1 cars, yet he’s still racing with (Kimi) Antonelli.

“He’s calm and always there. He had a four-tenth lead over Lawson in the practice session. He’s a really big guy coming up for the future.”

French and Algerian, Hadjar competes under the French flag in Formula One. Hadjar was born in Paris, but to an Algerian family.