Hadjar to conduct Red Bull's Suzuka tyre test alone

Red Bull junior driver Isack Hadjar will be the sole driver for the reigning champions in a two-day Pirelli tyre test at Suzuka this week, following the Japanese Grand Prix. The test will see both Red Bull and its sister team, Racing Bulls, in action on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Frenchman getting a valuable opportunity in the RB22.

Why it matters:

Pirelli tyre tests are crucial for gathering data on next year's compounds, and they offer rare, non-competitive track time for teams to evaluate young talent. For Hadjar, who currently races for Red Bull's junior team, this is a significant vote of confidence and a key step in his development within the program, putting him directly in the spotlight for a potential future seat.

The details:

• Solo Run: Hadjar will be the only driver behind the wheel of the Red Bull RB22 for the test, a clear sign of the team's focus on evaluating his performance.
• Absent Stars: Reigning world champion Max Verstappen, as is typical for these sessions, will not participate and has returned home. Contrary to some speculation, Red Bull reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda will also not take part for either team.
• Racing Bulls' Lineup: The sister team is expected to run its current race pairing of Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad, who notably outperformed Verstappen in qualifying at Suzuka.
• Recent Form Context: Hadjar qualified an impressive 8th for the Japanese GP but finished 12th. Lindblad qualified well but fell to 14th, while Lawson recovered from 14th to finish 9th, providing recent performance benchmarks for the test.

What's next:

The data collected will feed into Pirelli's 2025 tyre development, while for the drivers, it's a critical evaluation opportunity. A strong test performance could solidify Hadjar's position as a top contender for a future promotion, especially with Sergio Perez's seat often a topic of speculation. For Lawson and Lindblad, it's a chance to build momentum within the Racing Bulls setup.