Sun Mar 16 04:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Red Bull Rookie Hadjar Impresses on Australian GP Debut
**Melbourne, Australia –** Isack Hadjar, the late addition to Red Bull’s 2025 Formula 1 lineup, made a strong impression on his debut weekend at the Australian Grand Prix. Despite limited prior experience in an F1 car (around 400 laps), the 20-year-old Frenchman finished ninth in FP1 and sixth in FP2, exceeding expectations.
Hadjar’s performance impressed not only the Red Bull engineering team, who noted his precise feedback and mature focus, but also Helmut Marko, who praised the rookie’s “impressive; fast and no mistakes” performance. Team principal Laurent Mekies highlighted the team’s efforts to minimize distractions and allow Hadjar to comfortably acclimate to the car and the pressures of his first Grand Prix.
While acknowledging the early stage of Hadjar’s F1 career and the need for continued strong performance, Mekies expressed satisfaction with both Hadjar and teammate Yuki Tsunoda’s Friday practice runs. He cautioned against reading too much into the lap times, given fuel loads and the challenging Albert Park circuit.
Hadjar himself downplayed external pressures, stating that his self-imposed pressure to perform was far greater. He also commented on the relative ease of his current situation compared to the intense competition in F2 and F3.
The promising start contrasts with the difficulties faced by other rookies, including Oliver Bearman, who crashed out of FP1. Hadjar’s calm demeanor and strong performance suggest a bright future for the Red Bull driver, even if the true test lies in the qualifying and race sessions to come.
First Piper 