Only the finish line on the horizon
The Silverstone weekend turned out to be one to forget for the Racing Bulls team, based in Faenza, Italy. The squad, which competes with the CVARB 02 chassis this season, saw both of its drivers retire from the race in challenging weather conditions that pushed the limits of grip and visibility throughout the Grand Prix.
Liam Lawson out before completing a lap
The first driver to fall victim to the treacherous conditions was New Zealander Liam Lawson. Just one race earlier, Lawson had scored valuable points at the Austrian Grand Prix, raising hopes for another strong showing. However, at Silverstone, his Sunday ended almost as soon as it began. The number 40 driver was involved in a collision with Esteban Ocon on the opening lap, which caused significant damage to his car and forced him to retire before completing even a single full lap.
Reflecting on his early exit, Liam Lawson expressed his disappointment and frustration. He pointed out that the team had made the correct tyre choice and that he had gotten off to a strong start. That made it all the more painful not to be able to demonstrate the true potential of the Racing Bulls car, which he believed was particularly well-suited to the mixed weather conditions seen at Silverstone. Lawson noted that it had been a race full of opportunities and was disappointed to miss out on what could have been more championship points. Looking ahead to the next race at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, he said the goal was to bounce back and fight for points again in what will be another special Formula 1 weekend.
Isack Hadjar retires after Safety Car restart
Isack Hadjar’s race lasted longer than that of his teammate, but the outcome was equally disappointing. The French driver was forced to retire after a crash that occurred shortly after a Safety Car period. As the track remained treacherous and visibility worsened due to heavy rain, Hadjar was unable to brake in time and collided with the rear of the Mercedes driven by rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The impact not only ended Isack Hadjar’s race but eventually led to the retirement of the Italian driver as well.
Hadjar shared his view of the incident, explaining how difficult it was to race in such extreme conditions. Early in the race, he had been following Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and felt that his pace was competitive. Both he and Charles Leclerc were on a similar strategy, but it soon became clear it was not the ideal choice. He described how, during the laps behind the Safety Car, the rain limited visibility and tyre temperatures dropped significantly.
After the restart, he wished he had allowed more space between himself and the car ahead, but by the time he saw the red rain light on the back of Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, it was already too late. With visibility near zero, he had no time to react and avoid the crash. Fortunately, Hadjar confirmed he was uninjured. He ended by saying that he was already looking forward to the Belgian Grand Prix in a couple of weeks’ time and eager to return to racing under hopefully more stable conditions.
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