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F1 fans have reacted to Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar named Lewis Hamilton as his favorite F1 driver. The Frenchman will be making his debut at the pinnacle of motorsport in the 2025 season after he got a promotion from F2.
The 19-year-old was unlucky in defeat in the F2 championship to rival Gabriel Borteleto, who will be racing for Kick Sauber next year, as he stalled in the season-finale in Abu Dhabi. After narrowingly missing out on the title, the Red Bull junior driver was selected as the replacement for Liam Lawson in the Faenza-based outfit after the Kiwi got promoted to Red Bull.
In an interview from last year that has been shared on social media after his appointment, Isack Hadjar named Lewis Hamilton as his favorite driver and as his "GOAT." Speaking in March last year on the "Track Limits" podcast, he said :
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“Lewis Hamilton’s career is just another level. The numbers are just insane. He’s the GOAT for me. He’s my favorite driver. He inspired me so much. I think he’s the most complete driver out there.
"Since I started single-seater racing, I got interested in Formula 1 even more and it was clear to me that Lewis was the guy to beat and the reference for me, so I’ve always looked up to him as the GOAT. I really love the guy and he just inspires me so much in everything I do.”
F1 fans took to social media to give their reactions to Isack Hadjar's admiration for Lewis Hamilton, with one fan saying.
"And just like that, he's my favorite newbie!"
Another fan jokingly added,
"Breaking News: RB part ways with Hadjar after interview."
Another said,
"First that press conference and now this..This guy really needs some PR training."
Here are some more fan reactions:
"This will make it very difficult for Lewis fans to hate him. I’m sure they’ll still find a reason," said a fan.
"With his an announcement, teamlh , I think we know which rookie to support next season," wrote another.
"Everyone is a Lewis Hamilton fan, even if they don't admit it but deep down they know," said another.
When Isack Hadjar expressed his admiration for Lewis Hamilton
Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar has expressed his admiration for Lewis Hamilton on another occasion too. The comments came after the former's foray into the single-seaters.
Speaking on the F2's official website in 2023, the Red Bull junior hailed the 2021 Brazilian GP as Hamilton's "best weekend ever", saying:
“When I got into single-seaters, I actually started to understand how good he was because you’re in go-karts and you watch F1, you don’t really know what it is like to drive a racing car.
"Brazil 2021 - his race weekend was just outstanding, even though I was rooting a bit for Red Bull. He was just on another level that weekend, I would say it was his best weekend ever.”
The British driver will join Ferrari in 2025, as he looks for a record-breaking eighth world championship with the Italian team.
