It was announced this week that Hadjar is getting promoted to Red Bull Racing for the 2026 season, where he will become Max Verstappen's teammate taking over from Yuki Tsunoda.

When asked what this opportunity means to him, the Frenchman said in Abu Dhabi: “It's a very good moment in my career, that's for sure, for all the hard work through the years being rewarded now. Obviously, it's just the beginning of a new journey, but I'm very excited and stepping into a new era of Formula 1 as well. I think it's very good timing.”

When asked how the announcement came about, Hadjar added: “There was no cool phone call where I pick up the phone and it’s like ‘you’re a Red Bull Racing driver,’ it’s not really how it worked.

While Hadjar has earned the huge opportunity to race alongside Verstappen, Lawson will remain in Formula 1 next year with Racing Bulls — this time paired with a new teammate, Arvid Lindblad.

The New Zealander was demoted earlier this season after just two races to make room for Yuki Tsunoda, who, of the four, is the one left without a seat for next year.

Speaking to the media on Thursday ahead of the Abu Dhabi weekend, here’s how Lawson found out he would be staying with the Faenza team.