Overview
- Red Bull confirmed on Wednesday that it has exercised options in its junior programme to keep Isack Hadjar as Max Verstappen’s team‑mate for the 2027 season under a long‑term contract.
- Team principal Laurent Mekies described the agreement as a ‘very long’ contract, while Hadjar told reporters he had not checked the length and left details to his representatives.
- Hadjar missed three grands prix with a fractured wrist sustained in training and returned to the car in Baku after passing simulator and medical checks carried out by the team and FIA‑aligned processes.
- His first practice back in Baku was interrupted by multiple car faults, with Hadjar reporting a brake problem, engine cutting out and the loss of fifth gear that limited his running.
- The early deal stabilises Red Bull’s 2027 driver pairing and removes short‑term uncertainty for engineers, but it increases scrutiny on Hadjar to close the performance gap to Verstappen and affects reserve drivers who filled in during his absence.