AUSTIN, Texas — Formula 1’s rookie class of 2025 arrived on the grid to much fanfare, from young phenom Kimi Antonelli stepping into a seat once held by Lewis Hamilton to Oliver Bearman being part of an all-new Haas lineup. And as the 2025 season draws to a close, that rookie class has largely lived up to the billing.
And Isack Hadjar might be the most impressive of the bunch.
Hadjar has 39 points on the season, which sees him sitting ninth in the Drivers’ Championship standings, and scored his debut podium at the Dutch Grand Prix a few weeks ago. Ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, SB Nation caught up with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls rookie driver to talk about his 2025 season and more.
Isack Hadjar’s 2025 season
Our conversation began with a discussion of his season to date and that maiden podium. Hadjar is, like every driver on the grid, the ultimate competitor. While mere mortals would be satisfied with the season he has posted to date, F1 drivers expect more from themselves.
“Good enough, I would say,” began Hadjar when I asked him about his season so far. “Very up and down as well.
”But, you know, it’s a rookie season. You make mistakes. You learn. You try things that work, that don’t work. So, yeah, I would say, just up and down.
I then asked Hadjar about his emotions when he crossed the line in Zandvoort for his maiden F1 podium.
He admitted that he thought most of his family.
”It was, definitely, a lot of emotions. I just thought about my parents. It’s a family project, after all.
“It’s what I thought first.”
The rookie driver conceded that he did not want the last lap to end, as he wanted to savor that moment as long as possible.
“And just, I just wanted to enjoy the moment as long as possible. I didn’t want the last lap to finish, really,” continued Hadjar.
“It was an amazing moment.”
I then asked Hadjar what his strongest trait is on the track.
The rookie pointed to his head, literally and figuratively.
“It may not seem like it, but I really use my head when I drive,” started Hadjar. “I’m a clean racer as well, so I would say that.”
Every driver has that learning moment, or moments, during their rookie season. An incident or a result that forces them to reset, or alter their approach, and they emerge as a better driver on the other side.
For Hadjar that moment might have come early, when he slid off the racing line on the formation lap in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. When the lights went out for his first race, he was already back in the paddock.
But for the VCARB driver, it was the midway point of the season when he stopped feeling like a rookie.
“I wouldn’t say there was one race, but I definitely felt like at some point [he stopped feeling like a rookie. Throughout the season, I would go on a track, I wouldn’t know, and be right there, straight away, very fast, very competitive,” described Hadjar. “Because I would be on top of it.
“So yeah, I would say definitely around mid-season, I clearly felt like I’ve done a step.”
The conversation then turned to the partnership between VCARB and ExxonMobil, the team’s Official Fuel and Lubricants partner. The United States Grand Prix, as one of the races in the United States, is filled with partnership activations both ahead of the race and during the race week itself. Like many teams, VCARB launched a bespoke livery for the United States Grand Prix, and we chatted for a moment about how ExxonMobil helps the team on the track.
“ExxonMobil is VCARB’s team partner. The wheels are turning thanks to them, you know? Their home race. It’s our home race, and it’s gonna be a good weekend, good event, for them and for us as a team,” described Hadjar.
ExxonMobil has several activations planned for fans in Austin during the United States Grand Prix. Fans can stop by a merchandise truck giving out team gear on both Friday and Saturday at the Mobil on 1403 S. Lamar Blvd in Austin. (4-8 pm EST on Friday, October 17, and 10 am-2 pm EST on Saturday, October 18). That includes free hats, racecar Lego sets, and even a chance to win a year’s worth of fuel each day.
Prompted by a reader, I then asked Hadjar about the social media side of the job. Like the other teams, VCARB has a tremendous presence on social media, with videos featuring Hadjar and teammate Liam Lawson.
I asked him if he enjoyed that side of his role with the team.
“No,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been told to say that I really enjoy doing them.
“I’m a racing driver. As a kid, I always wanted to drive cars.”
Hadjar then admitted that the videos are “good fun,” and he’s perhaps found a future as an actor, once his racing days are over.
“Honestly, it’s good fun. Especially outside,” added Hadjar. “I’m locked in, it’s a bit difficult to play a character, even though I’m a very good actor.”
The USGP and the rest of the F1 season
As our conversation drew to a close, I asked Hadjar about both the United States Grand Prix and his expectations for the rest of the season.
Hadjar outlined that he was looking forward to another F1 Sprint weekend, a format that he really enjoys.
“Honestly, as it’s a Sprint weekend, it’s a format I really enjoy. It’s also an opportunity to rack up more points,” described Hadjar.
“The target is just to be in SQ3, in Q3, score points on both attempts.”
As for the rest of the season, Hadjar declared that more than anything else, he wants to have “fun” along the way.
”And then for the rest of the season, as I said, I just wanna have fun.
“I’ve showed enough so far this year, so now I just wanna try my own stuff and gain experience.”
That process continues tomorrow here in Austin.
