‘We do not plan to change during the season’ – Laurent Mekies insists Red Bull will not swap Yuki Tsunoda for Isack Hadjar in 2025

Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies has confirmed that there are no plans to replace Yuki Tsunoda with Isack Hadjar before the end of the 2025 season.

Hadjar became the latest first-time podium finisher during the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend having qualified an impressive fourth and benefitting from Lando Norris’ late retirement to finish third.

The Racing Bulls driver has impressed during his maiden campaign with his speed and race results, which culminated last weekend in becoming the youngest Frenchman to take a Formula 1 rostrum.

Even before last weekend, speculation was growing that Hadjar would be promoted to the Red Bull team sooner rather than later, the 20-year-old stating before the Canadian Grand Prix back in June that “I wouldn’t feel ready”.

Tsunoda himself was already moved to the Red Bull team from Racing Bulls in place of the underperforming Liam Lawson, the pair swapping places after just two races of the current campaign.

However, the 25-year-old has endured a difficult time since joining the senior squad, claiming just four points finishes in 14 Grands Prix, although the Japanese driver ended a run of seven races without scoring last weekend with his P9 in Zandvoort.

Despite struggling to match team mate Max Verstappen, Tsunoda’s place with the team seems secure for the remaining nine Grands Prix.

“I think the short answer is yes,” said Team Principal Mekies when asked on Friday ahead of the Italian Grand Prix whether Hadjar would remain with Racing Bulls until the end of the season.

“I think we made it clear, very public, we have time with our driver decision. We have enough drivers in the driver programme to cover quite a few scenarios for next year. We don’t have a reason to rush.

“No, we do not plan to change during the season. Yuki has been making a good step in the last three races, we want more, but he’s doing a good job. First time in the points after seven races, best Qualifying with the team at Spa, he’s on a positive trend.

“It’s extremely nice to watch Isack’s progress and to see him performing at the level he did in the last race. [It] was a fantastic demonstration of the progress he has been doing during the season but we are relaxed about the driver topic, we have all the cards on the Red Bull side.”