Red Bull extends Isack Hadjar through 2027 alongside Max Verstappen

Red Bull confirmed on 23 September that Isack Hadjar would remain alongside four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen for the 2027 season. The Milton Keynes team announced the French-Algerian driver's contract extension ahead of his return at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a decision that was well received by F1 fans. Verstappen currently sits sixth in the drivers' standings on 145 points.

Red Bull has been searching for some time for a driver capable of extracting from its car a level of performance comparable to Verstappen's. Liam Lawson, who recently stepped in for Hadjar, had himself replaced Sergio Perez in that seat for 2025 before being replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after just two race weekends.

Fan reactions highlighted both the early nature of the announcement and Hadjar's results. “I wasn't expecting an announcement this early, but it is well deserved, Hadjar! He has been the only driver in that second seat to score points consistently since Perez,” one Reddit user wrote.

Another said he had been performing very well before his injury and hoped he could resume where he left off, adding that Lawson would be relieved to return to a better car. A third fan argued that Hadjar's podiums with the sister team and then the main team over two years showed that he deserved to remain with a top team such as Red Bull.

One comment nevertheless suggested that Red Bull might not have better options at present, without treating that as criticism of Hadjar. Its author praised his work so far, while hoping his injury would not cause too many problems and questioning whether a bumpy street circuit was the ideal setting for a comeback. However, the fan felt that the driver had to return at some point and must be happy with his fitness, with the medical staff's approval. Other posts called on Racing Bulls to retain Lawson, saying he has been performing well and that his brief Red Bull spell had not been bad, while another fan described the extension as very well deserved.

Hadjar returns after missing three grand prix weekends because of a wrist injury sustained during the summer break. He currently stands eighth in the drivers' standings with 71 points.

The Frenchman finished 12th in his 2025 rookie season with Racing Bulls before joining Red Bull in 2026.