Red Bull’s junior program is well-stocked with promising young drivers, all of whom are hoping to make their mark in 2023.
Red Bull’s junior program is well known for being one of the most productive, if fearsomely ruthless, junior driver programs in motorsport.
Headed up by Red Bull motorsport advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, here are the drivers that currently make up the roster of names aiming to impress Marko and take a step closer to Formula 1 during the 2023 motorsport season.
Johnny Edgar
18-year-old Jonny Edgar was signed to the Red Bull program in late 2017, having won the CIK-FIA European Championship in the OKJ category at his first attempt.
Remaining in karting in 2018, his best finish out of the various championships he entered was third in the WSK Super Master Series, before moving up into car racing in 2019.
Competing in Italian F4 and ADAC F4 in 2019, he dominated the German championship in 2020 to win his first car racing title. Edgar moved up to Formula 3 in 2021, although had a tough year with Carlin as he finished 18th overall.
Switching to Trident in 2022, Edgar struggled for pace but later revealed a diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease – he opted to sideline himself briefly in order to concentrate on building up his health. He became a regular points scorer in the second half of the season, finishing 12th overall.
He will remain in Formula 3 in 2023, driving for MP Motorsport.
Dennis Hauger
19-year-old Norwegian Dennis Hauger has been part of Red Bull’s junior program since September 2017, while still in karting.
Hauger has shown steady progress since then, winning the 2019 Italian F4 Championship with Van Amersfoort, as well as the 2021 Formula 3 Championship with Prema.
He raced for Prema for his maiden campaign in Formula 2 in 2022, finishing 10th overall, and claiming two victories – one in Monaco, and one in Baku.
He’s set to race for MP Motorsport in Formula 2 in 2023.
Liam Lawson
Signed as a Red Bull junior in early 2019, Lawson will serve as a Red Bull and AlphaTauri reserve F1 driver in 2023 alongside a racing campaign in Japan’s Super Formula, having finished third in the 2022 Formula 2 Championship.
The Kiwi had caught the eye in 2018, having finished second in German Formula 4, as well as dominating his one-off appearance in Asian Formula 3.
Lawson had an average first year in F3, finishing 11th overall, but finishing second overall in Euroformula and winning the Toyota Racing Series.
Climbing to fifth in F3 in 2020, he earned a step up to F2 with Hitech – finishing ninth overall in his first season with a race win, and second overall in a Red Bull-backed Ferrari in DTM.
Racing with Carlin in 2022, he won four races and replaced Juri Vips as Red Bull’s leading junior after the Estonian landed himself in hot water after using a racial slur while streaming himself gaming online.
Jehan Daruvala
The 24-year-old has been part of Red Bull’s junior program since early 2020, but is likely in last-chance saloon with Red Bull after a poor 2022 F2 championship.
He has signed up as a reserve driver for Indian outfit Mahindra in Formula E for next season, while other racing plans are yet to be firmed up.
Daruvala finished seventh overall in Formula 2 in 2022, racing with Prema, replicating his championship position of the previous season when he drove for Carlin, a step up from 12th in 2020.
He finished third overall in the 2019 Formula 3 Championship, with only one other top-three finish amongst the myriad of championships he’s competed in since stepping up to car racing in 2015.
Jak Crawford
17-year-old American racer Jak Crawford has been part of the Red Bull program since early 2020, as he embarked on a German F4 campaign.
Finishing second in that championship with Van Amersfoort, he finished sixth overall in Italian F4.
Moving to Formula 3 with Hitech, a solitary podium finish netted him 13th overall, but a stronger showing with Motopark in Euroformula Open saw him finish third overall with eight race wins.
He stayed in F3 in 2022, with Prema, where he won his first race with victory in the sprint race at the Red Bull Ring.
He’s due to step up to Formula 2 in 2023, and expected to confirm a season with Hitech.
Ayumu Iwasa
Ayumu Iwasa has quickly risen to become one of Red Bull’s leading juniors, with the Japanese racer set to compete in Formula 2 in 2023 with DAMS.
Iwasa was signed in early 2021, fresh off the back of his victory in the French Formula 4 championship. He had dabbled with some part-time single-seater racing in 2017 and 2018, before winning the Suzuka Racing School’s single-seater series in 2019 in his first full season.
Signed by Honda in 2020, he was sent to France for the F4 series before landing the backing of Red Bull. He finished 12th overall in Formula 3 with Hitech in 2021, but still did enough to secure a promotion to F2 for ’22, finishing P5 in the standings. His dominant feature race win in France showed just how fast he can be.
Isack Hadjar
18-year-old Isack Hadjar is set to race in Formula 2 in 2023, although he is yet to confirm with which team – he tested for Hitech in Abu Dhabi in the post-season test, having raced for them throughout 2022 in Formula 3 .
The French driver finished fourth overall in F3 in 2022, as well as third in Formula Regional Asia.
He was signed to Red Bull in mid-2021, en route to fifth overall in Formula Regional Europe, and sixth in the F3 Asia Championship. Marko has described him as Red Bull’s ‘little Prost’, and has very high hopes for the Frenchman.
Souta Arao
17-year-old Japanese racer Souta Arao raced in French Formula 4 in 2022, finishing in third place overall. His plans for 2023 are yet to be confirmed.
Yuto Nomura
17-year old Yuto Nomura raced in French F4 with Red Bull backing in 2022, and their plans for him for 2023 are yet to be confirmed.
Ren Sato
A product of Honda’s Formula Dream Project, 21-year-old Ren Sato joined the Red Bull program last year, and is immersed in the Japanese racing scene as he raced to 12th overall in the Super Formula championship with Team Goh.
He is set to race with TCS Nakajima in 2023. Sato, who is not related to former F1 racer Takuma, has only raced outside of Europe as a guest racer in the French Formula 4 championship – finishing behind Ayumu Iwasa that season.
Enzo Fittipaldi
Another new signing to the Red Bull junior programme, Fittipaldi is the brother of long-time Haas reserve/tester Pietro, and grandson of F1 World Champion, Emerson.
The 21-year old will race with Carlin in Formula 2 in 2023, after a solid campaign with Charouz in 2022 without any F1 affiliation. Fittipaldi raced with Charouz in both F2 and F3 in 2021, finishing with zero victories in both series.
His last race victory came in 2019, driving for Prema in the Formula Regional European Championship, where he finished second overall after winning the Italian F4 title in 2018 and third overall in German F4.
Zane Maloney
19-year old Zane Maloney is one of Red Bull’s new recruits for 2023, with the Barbadian finishing second in the 2022 Formula 3 Championship after a year with Trident.
Maloney also had the chance to race for Trident at the season finale of the F2 Championship in Abu Dhabi, before testing for Carlin.
His 2023 plans are yet to be fully solidified, as he told the F1 Feeder Series Podcast: “I will be racing in F2 next year – great to make the step up. ADD Management have done an amazing job with my career.
“I can’t say anything about who I’ll be doing 2023 with. Hopefully, you’ll know after Christmas.”
Enzo Tarnvanichkul
Thailand’s Enzo Tarnvanichkul has joined the Red Bull junior team, with the 13-year-old winning the karting world championship in the OKJ category in 2022.
“I am very proud to announce that I will be joining the Red Bull youth program in 2023,” he wrote on his social media.
“I am looking forward to my new journey. Thank you for this opportunity, I will try to do my best on the track and in my career.”
Read More – Ferrari Driver Academy: What has happened to every former Scuderia prospect?
