Red Bull junior sensation Isack Hadjar was left utterly devastated after a brutal last-minute driver swap robbed him of his coveted Formula 1 practice debut at the Australian Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old Frenchman, currently leading the Formula 2 championship, was scheduled to take part in the first practice session (FP1) for Red Bull's sister team, RB. However, in a dramatic late decision, the Red Bull hierarchy elected to hand the drive to reserve driver Liam Lawson instead.
Hadjar was visibly emotional in the paddock at the Albert Park Circuit, with footage capturing the distraught youngster being comforted by his entourage. The move is seen as a significant blow to his aspirations of securing a full-time F1 seat, with these FP1 outings being a critical part of his development and a chance to impress team principals Christian Horner and Laurent Mekies.
Lawson's Reward or Hadjar's Punishment?
The decision to install New Zealander Lawson in the car is widely interpreted as a reward for his impressive stand-in performances for AlphaTauri (now RB) last season. Lawson filled in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo and outperformed teammate Yuki Tsunoda, firmly putting himself in the frame for a 2025 drive.
For Hadjar, the public snub is a crushing setback. Taking part in official practice sessions is a invaluable opportunity for junior drivers to gain experience and showcase their talent directly to the decision-makers. Having this chance pulled away at the eleventh hour sends a potentially damaging message about his current standing within the Red Bull driver programme.
A History of High-Stakes Pressure
The Red Bull junior team has a notorious reputation for its ruthless approach to driver development. While it has nurtured talents like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, many highly-rated drivers have been dropped for failing to meet its exceptionally high standards.
This incident in Melbourne will inevitably spark questions about whether Hadjar's future with the team is already in serious doubt, or if this was a purely strategic move to further evaluate Lawson against current RB driver Yuki Tsunoda. Either way, for one heartbroken junior driver in Melbourne, the dream of driving in Formula 1 suddenly feels much further away.
