Hadjar: If you do not believe that you are the best, you have to stop

Speaking to Auto Hebdo, French driver Hadjar admitted the gravity of being a full-time Formula 1 driver is still setting in.

He said: "I still ask myself that question every day! I'm not really sure because I haven't even started working yet. I'm looking forward to it."

Hadjar has long displayed an unwavering confidence in his own ability, a mindset he believes is necessary to succeed at the highest level; he said: "I am not the only one among drivers who thinks this way. There are simply some who do and others who do not. At this level, if you do not believe that you are the best, you have to stop.

"I have always been sure that I have the ability to achieve this. Not everything is always in our hands—there are many external factors and planets that we have to balance—but since I was a child, I know that if I am given a steering wheel and two pedals, I can think," added the 20-year-old of Algerian descent.

Hadjar was the final driver to be confirmed for the 2025 F1 season following Red Bull’s off-season shake-up, which saw Liam Lawson replace Sergio Perez at the senior team and Hadjar step into the vacant Racing Bulls seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda.

Born in Paris, Hadjar progressed through the ranks from karting to single-seaters, impressing in French F4 before moving into Formula Regional and FIA Formula 3, where he became a Red Bull Junior driver in 2022. His maiden F2 season in 2023 was difficult, but Red Bull kept faith in his talent, handing him F1 practice outings with both AlphaTauri and Red Bull Racing.

That trust was rewarded in 2024, as Hadjar mounted a strong F2 title challenge with four victories and multiple podiums, only to fall just short after an agonizing stall in the Abu Dhabi finale. His performances, however, cemented his reputation as one of the brightest young talents in Red Bull’s ranks.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner is a fan; he said: "He's definitely a raw talent. He needs a little bit of polishing, but he has the speed."

Hadjar’s promotion makes him the first French driver since Pierre Gasly in 2017 to earn an F1 opportunity. More significantly, he is also the second driver in seven years to make it to F1 through the French motorsport federation’s (FFSA) talent development programme.

"It's great, of course. Above all, I'm the second pure FFSA product to go into Formula 1 in seven years. The performance is rather very good, considering that it's an F1 grid. This shows that the association is working very well," Hadjar, whose racing heroes are Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton, claimed.

While carrying French hopes, Hadjar insists he is focused on representing those who backed his career from the start, including the FFSA and the DTN, led by Christophe Collier.

"I'm representing myself, that's not bad!" Hadjar joked, adding: "Far beyond France, I'm thinking in particular of representing the FFSA and the DTN under Mr Christophe Lollier. He and the Federation believed in me from the start and I owe them a lot."

Hadjar’s journey to F1 has been a testament to both his self-belief and his resilience. Now, with his long-awaited opportunity secured, he is ready to put his confidence to the test on motorsport’s biggest stage with Racing Bulls.

From there, the next step is stepping up to Red Bull. Hadjar will aim to prove he is up to the job if Liam Lawson fails against Max Verstappen and he beats equally fiery Yuki Tsunoda which is the rookie's first order of business when track action begins with the Australian Grand Prix weekend in Melbourne next month.