Isack Hadjar is aiming for Formula 1 as early as next year
After having had a very solid season in F3, finishing 4th in the championship, the one who had long been in the battle for the title arrives in F2 this season and does not plan on staying there for long.
Isack Hadjar is about to embark on his rookie season in the F1 feeder series with Hitech Grand Prix, after only competing in one season of Formula 3 last year.
The young French driver will not be the only one from the Red Bull program, as Ayumu Iwasa, Enzo Fittipaldi, Zane Maloney, Dennis Hauger, and also his teammate this year Jack Crawford will accompany him in F2.
As many drivers who also want to reach F1 with Red Bull or AlphaTauri. Helmut Marko, head of the Red Bull program, will be responsible for monitoring the young Frenchman.
“My goal is simply to have a very good season and move on to Formula 1,” he said.
« It would be great to spend only one year in F2, that would be ideal, and then move on to F1. That’s the main goal, so we’re going to give it our all. »
Isack Hadjar has shown himself quite confident about his 2023 season with the Hitech team after a successful campaign with this outfit in F3 last year, where he finished fourth in the championship.
(e) I am really excited, even though I knew that I was gaining power since last year already. I am thrilled to start the season with the same team. I know the team very well, I was in F3 Asia and in Formula 3 with them, so I spent hours working with the guys.
« Now, moving on to F2, it feels quite familiar to me. Working with the same team is completely normal and I’m happy not to go elsewhere – I feel like I have an advantage, so it’s great. »
The F2, another dimension
Hadjar acknowledges that the F2 requires practice, even with his participation in the F2 tests in Abu Dhabi last year. He believes that some drivers will still have an advantage, especially on urban-type circuits.
« The F2 is really difficult, even the very good drivers take a few laps to get into the groove. I think it’s a difficult car to understand, with the pit stops and strategies that are introduced, while in F3, it was simply about pushing from start to finish. »
I think that tire degradation is the main limiting factor. Obviously, I won’t be 100% ready for the first race because there haven’t been enough tests, but I hope to understand everything quickly enough to fight for race wins.
« I am really happy to go to Melbourne where I will not be at a disadvantage compared to others because nobody knows the track yet, but in Jeddah or Baku where some drivers like Théo [Pourchaire], Jack [Doohan] or Ayumu [Iwasa] already know the track, I think they have a pretty big advantage. »
« These are truly difficult tracks and I think it’s obviously a disadvantage, but I will give my best to catch up, and we’ll see how it goes. I’ve been waiting so long to be able to race in Melbourne and I’m really happy to go so far from Paris to race, so I’m really looking forward to it. »
