Isack Hadjar fights back from pit lane to claim P10 at Monza: “We deserve this point”. Isack Hadjar produced a brilliant comeback at the 2025 Italian GP.

Qualifying to forget

The Italian Grand Prix looked like a real uphill challenge for Racing Bulls after a difficult qualifying session. Liam Lawson was set to start from the back of the grid, while Isack Hadjar was forced to begin the race from the pit lane due to a power unit change on his car. With both drivers at the bottom, the race promised to be a test of patience and strategy for the Faenza-based team.

An important point

It was almost impossible to imagine Isack Hadjar climbing all the way into the top five, as he had done in Zandvoort when he scored his first career Formula 1 podium. Nonetheless, the French-Algerian managed to charge through the field and finish in 10th place. This result not only put the number 6 car back in the points, but also moved Isack Hadjar up to ninth place in the championship ahead of Nico Hülkenberg, who retired before the start due to hydraulic problems on his Sauber.

“I am obviously very happy because I think we achieved the maximum result possible,” Isack Hadjar explained after the race. “I really enjoyed myself; the car was quick and the team executed the strategy perfectly, keeping up a strong rhythm throughout. Before the race, I thought we would be stuck in a DRS train, but instead we were able to make the most of the Hard tyres in clean air. Overall it was a fun race, it felt like we were putting in qualifying laps one after the other without any tyre degradation. After a frustrating qualifying and starting from the pit lane, I think we really deserve this point as a team. I am already looking forward to racing again in Baku in two weeks’ time.”

Liam Lawson misses out on the top ten

By contrast, Liam Lawson could not find the same rhythm as his teammate. Despite starting from the back, the New Zealander ended up crossing the line in 14th place. “It was a tough race, starting from the back,” Lawson admitted. “We tried a different strategy and took a risk, but unfortunately it did not pay off. We were close, but a few cars on fresher tyres managed to get ahead of us and we got stuck behind them, which was really frustrating. If we had cleared that group, the race would have been much easier. The car was fast, so it is disappointing to leave without points. From my side, we did not maximise the weekend. That said, it is not as bad as it seems and we will try to turn things around in Baku.”