Frustration for Racing Bulls as a first-lap error costs precious points in F1 Mexico GP. Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar reflected on his disappointing Mexican Grand Prix.

It was another disappointing weekend for the Racing Bulls team, which for the third consecutive Grand Prix finished outside the points with both of its drivers. The rough patch, which began in Singapore, continued in Mexico City despite initial hopes that Isack Hadjar could return to the top ten. The French driver arrived in Mexico with a special helmet dedicated to his idol and fellow countryman Alain Prost, who famously won with Ferrari at this very circuit back in 1990.

Another tough weekend

Despite securing a solid qualifying result, Isack Hadjar’s race was compromised right from the start due to a mistake on the opening lap that ultimately cost him a chance to score points. He crossed the finish line in 13th place and later admitted: “It was a frustrating race. I got off to a pretty good start, but then I made a mistake at Turn 6 on the first lap, losing several positions, and that compromised much of our race. Overall, we had a good strategy, but I don’t think we had enough speed today to fight for points.”

The Frenchman also explained how tire choice played a part in their struggles: “We only used soft tires, and that didn’t help us make the difference when some of the drivers starting from the back were gaining time on us with fresher compounds. Looking back at this weekend, I still think there are some positives we can take forward into the last four races of the season.”

Lawson retires early after collision and scary moment with marshals

For Liam Lawson, things went even worse. The New Zealander was forced to retire early after a collision on the opening lap. But before making it back to the pits, Liam Lawson had a frightening moment when two track marshals dangerously entered the circuit to clear debris just in front of him. Fortunately, the incident did not lead to tragedy.

“We had a great start and there was plenty of space on the outside at Turn 1, so I closed the gap. Many drivers were sliding, and I left a lot of room next to Carlos, but then he decided to cut the chicane without looking left. That caused contact and unfortunately destroyed the side of my car, forcing us to retire,” Lawson explained.

Despite the early exit, Liam Lawson took some positives from the weekend: “The pace we had all weekend was strong, so it’s a shame we couldn’t show it here in Mexico. Of course, we’ll take what we learned this weekend and use it for the Brazilian Grand Prix in a couple of weeks.”