After a strong Q3 qualifying session, French-Algerian driver Isack Hadjar lost positions due to a technical issue, finishing just outside the points, while teammate Liam Lawson ended up 15th. The Singapore Grand Prix marked the end of a positive streak that had started in Zandvoort for Racing Bulls and especially for Isack Hadjar. Having achieved his first Formula 1 podium in the Netherlands, the young 21-year-old had secured additional points finishes in Monza and Baku, with qualifying in Marina Bay initially looking promising on a circuit he had never raced on in Formula 1 before.
Power unit problems spoil the race
Despite a minor contact with Oliver Bearman at the start, it was a power unit problem, communicated by the team via radio, that ultimately cost Isack Hadjar a top-10 finish, leaving him in 11th place: “It wasn’t our day because we had an issue with the car just before the pit stop,” he explained. “It lasted through the second half of the race and cost us the points. I just hoped other drivers wouldn’t catch up so quickly, but they did, and the blue flags didn’t help. In the corners, we were quite fast, but we lost everything on the straights, so there was nothing more we could do. I will review what happened with the team, and then we will focus on Austin, aiming to maintain the momentum we started after the summer break.”
Liam Lawson also struggles
After an excellent fifth-place finish in Baku, Liam Lawson also lost positions during the race after starting from 12th on the grid, eventually finishing 15th: “We stayed out on a set of medium tires for most of the race, and unfortunately, we ended up behind a train of cars after our pit stop. If we had started further up the grid, we could potentially have finished in the points given our pace, but a difficult qualifying meant it was going to be challenging from the start. It was a tough weekend in difficult conditions, but now my focus is on Austin.”
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