Red Bull junior driver Isack Hadjar endured a tough time on track before Formula 2 dispersed for a two-month mid-season break.
During the summer break, just two races ago, he held a 35-point championship lead over his rivals and it appeared that no one could get close to him.
But, the Frenchman has gone scoreless in his last two events and has lost his previously commanding lead, now sitting 4.5 points behind Gabriel Bortoleto.
He has two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to turn the tide around, but any momentum he had built up is firmly gone now.
Red Bull ‘not 100% sure’ on Formula 2 driver Isack Hadjar
If Red Bull decides that Sergio Perez needs to be replaced for 2025, their most likely candidate is Liam Lawson.
That would leave a seat open at Visa Cash App RB to be taken alongside Yuki Tsunoda, and it would make sense to put on of their many patient junior drivers in it.
However, speaking on ESPN F1 Unlapped, Laurence Edmondson doesn’t believe that it’s certain Hadjar would get a call in that situation, despite currently sitting second in the Formula 2 standings.
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“Unless Red Bull feel very strongly about Isack Hadjar, their F2 driver making the step up next year, and I get the impression they’re not 100% sure on that.
“Then I think Checo’s seat is probably safe. But he’ll have to keep an eye on Lawson.”
What could Red Bull’s other options for a seat at VCARB be?
There’s bound to be a big queue of drivers enquiring about a seat if one suddenly becomes available for 2025 with so much impressive talent without a drive.
Arvid Lindblad has shown a ton of promise at a very young age, but would only be ready for 2026, meaning that they could warm the seat for him and take a gamble on someone for a year.
That makes things more likely for Hadjar, but also difficult for Tsunoda who risks being dropped from the program if he outperformed in 2025.
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Pepe Marti has driven a fairly average Formula 2 season and Oliver Goethe has only just graduated to the series.
Without looking outside of their stable, it means that their options are fairly limited, so maybe it would be a good time to look elsewhere and look at talents like Gabriel Bortoleto, Felipe Drugovich or Theo Pourchaire.