Martin Brundle issues clear Isack Hadjar advice as Red Bull rumours swirl

From crashing out of the Australian Grand Prix before the start of the race to ending the Dutch Grand Prix on the podium, Isack Hadjar has had a wild introduction to Formula 1.

For former driver turned pundit Martin Brundle, though, that’s the beauty of Formula 1; so long as one focuses on every straight and every corner, it’s entirely possible to turn a season around.

Martin Brundle’s advice for Isack Hadjar

Before the lights had a chance to go out to signal the start of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, and the start of a new Formula 1 season, Isack Hadjar was in tears.

Wet conditions at the start of the event saw several drivers caught out, with Hadjar among them, crashing his Racing Bulls machine on the formation lap, before even making his F1 grand prix debut.

It was the kind of morale-crushing moment that goes on to haunt a racer’s rookie campaign. But a determined Hadjar put his head down and kept racing, and has since mounted a deeply impressive F1 2025.

That culminated in a third-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, followed soon after by the French-Algerian driver breaking into the top 10 in the championship standings — ahead of his teammate Liam Lawson, and well ahead of Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda.

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As is bound to happen when a driver in a Red Bull-affiliated team shows promise, rumors have begun to emerge that Hadjar could see himself promoted to the senior team; a move that comes with increased risk and pressure.

Nico Rosberg, F1’s 2016 champion, took a moment to reflect on Hadjar’s career trajectory during Sky Sports’ pre-race ceremonies for the Italian Grand Prix.

“I mean even just on the first race where he crashed before the start, Helmut Marko destroyed him publicly. That was the first race!” Rosberg said.

“They’re so tough on the drivers, but he’s the rising star of the year. I mean, amazing performances, consistent, fast.

“The problem he has now, which we were talking about before, they’re gonna call him up to Red Bull Racing. And then, does he take that role, or should he decline it and buy some more time and give him one more year to learn? That’s a tough one.”

The seat alongside Max Verstappen has been a notoriously challenging one to fill, with the likes of Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Pierre Gasly, and Liam Lawson either demoted or fired for failing to perform.

For a young driver like Hadjar, if a move to a team like Red Bull comes too early, it could be the nail in the coffin of his career.

But Martin Brundle shared some advice that he felt could be relevant to the young driver’s situation.

“I was talking to a young driver earlier in the year,” Brundle began.

“He was struggling, and I said, ‘the great thing about this business is the hero-to-zero aspect. You can become the hero very quickly. You’ve just got to weather the storm.

“‘And in the end of the day — and it’s the same this afternoon — there are straights, there are rights, and there are left. Just treat it like that and keep your head down.’

“And that young driver started going a lot better actually after that.”

It’s not clear exactly who Brundle was speaking to, but it’s advice that could have easily lifted Hadjar from his early season challenges. It’s also advice that could ground him as he pursues a potential future at a team as demanding as Red Bull.

Rosberg continued, “At the moment, [Hadjar is] showing enormous potential; race-winning potential. I mean, let’s see how far he can take it, but he’s absolutely the rising star of the year.”

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