Red Bull set to confirm Hadjar and Lawson 2027 decisions within days as Tsolov complicates the equation

Isack Hadjar is the frontrunner for a new deal after an impressive opening to his first season alongside Max Verstappen. The 21-year-old scored seven consecutive top-six finishes before the summer break, but a wrist injury sustained while boxing in training has kept him out of three consecutive races at Zandvoort, Monza and Madrid. Liam Lawson has stepped up as Verstappen's stand-in and produced strong results, finishing seventh at the Dutch Grand Prix and sixth at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Team principal Laurent Mekies has repeatedly signalled that Hadjar's seat is secure, telling media after the Hungarian Grand Prix: "We haven't discussed the future yet, but everyone can see that Isack is doing an excellent job. So we will make a logical decision."

Mekies has also praised the cultural shift toward a more balanced team dynamic at Red Bull. "It is good news that we have a strong second driver for the first time in quite a long time," he said before the summer break. Hadjar is understood to be operating on a deal that is reviewed annually, making a formal extension the next logical step.

While the Hadjar extension appears close to a formality, the Racing Bulls picture is far more complicated. Nikola Tsolov leads the Formula 2 championship on 177 points with three rounds remaining, and Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane has described the 19-year-old Bulgarian as "the next in line" for an F1 promotion.

As GPblog has previously reported, the most likely scenario at Racing Bulls remains Lawson and Lindblad continuing into 2027, with Tsolov taking on a reserve role.

But Lawson's long-term future in the Red Bull programme is far from guaranteed, and Tsolov's continued title charge could yet force Red Bull to accelerate his promotion. Lawson himself acknowledged the weight of his recent outings, telling Formula1.com it had been "overall a strong three weekends" with Red Bull.

Red Bull is still to decide whether Hadjar is fit enough to return at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix later this month, meaning the contract announcements could arrive before his Baku fitness verdict is even confirmed.