Laurent Mekies sets targets for Isack Hadjar as Red Bull confirms deal through 2027

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Red Bull has confirmed that Isack Hadjar will continue to race alongside Max Verstappen into the 2027 Formula 1 season. Speaking at the Baku City Circuit during Thursday’s team representative press conference for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies described the extension as an “easy” decision, pointing to Hadjar’s progress both on track and in his integration with the team after his move to the senior Red Bull outfit in 2026.

Mekies said Hadjar impressed in the first part of the year through his “natural speed” and how quickly he became embedded with Red Bull, including relocating to the UK and being at the Milton Keynes base regularly. He added that performance gains were visible race-to-race, and that this steady improvement helped Red Bull secure a longer-term commitment.

Asked whether the renewal was multi-year, Mekies said Red Bull has “a very long-term contract” with Hadjar as part of its junior programme, and that it has “activated our options to secure him for 2027.” The announcement also comes as Hadjar returns to action in Baku after a wrist injury.

On what Red Bull expects from Hadjar in his second season, Mekies said the target is for him “to continue to progress,” highlighting continued technical feedback, greater maturity, and further improvements to his speed through the second part of 2026 and into next year. He added that if Hadjar maintains that trajectory, Red Bull expects him to be “very close to Max,” framing both the progress and competitiveness as linked.