The Formula 1 driver market is heating up, with three Formula 2 stars already securing their dream moves to the big league for 2024.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is stepping into some pretty big shoes – he’ll be taking over from seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. Meanwhile, Oliver Bearman is heading to Haas to partner Esteban Ocon, and Gabriel Bortoleto has landed a spot in the exciting new Audi project at Kick Sauber.
But there might be one more F2 hotshot making the jump: Isack Hadjar.
The young Frenchman’s been playing it cool about his future plans. When asked if he’s ready for F1, Hadjar gave a cryptic smile and said, "It’s obviously confirmed… And yet to be confirmed, right? I literally can’t tell you what I’m doing next season because it’s not been official."
Things got even more interesting when Bortoleto tried to get some inside info from his rival about Red Bull’s plans.
"If I say I know, then maybe you guys know what’s going on," Hadjar teased.
The timing couldn’t be better for Hadjar. He’s right in the thick of the F2 championship fight, sitting just half a point behind Bortoleto heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
There’s growing buzz that he could end up at VCARB (formerly AlphaTauri) next year. If that happens, he’d be the fifth rookie on the 2024 F1 grid – but here’s where it gets really interesting. His promotion might set off a chain reaction that could see Sergio Perez lose his Red Bull seat, with a VCARB driver moving up to replace him.
The next few weeks could shake up the entire F1 grid.
