Isack Hadjar’s weekend at Spa-Francorchamps was a genuine rollercoaster. Driving for Red Bull, the Frenchman showed competitive pace from Friday onwards, despite knowing that a power unit change would force him to start the Belgian Grand Prix from the back of the grid.
Despite the penalty, Isack Hadjar approached qualifying with great determination and successfully reached Q3. His presence in the final qualifying session also proved crucial to Red Bull’s slipstreaming plan for Max Verstappen, helping the four-time Formula 1 world champion secure second place on the grid.
Isack Hadjar climbs from 21st to sixth at Spa
Isack Hadjar started the race from 21st position but produced a remarkable recovery drive. He capitalised on the Safety Car period, adopted an alternative strategy and steadily climbed towards the points, rewarding an excellent decision from the Red Bull pit wall.
During the closing laps, Lando Norris began closing in on Isack Hadjar. The McLaren driver had also started towards the back of the grid, although he was running a very different strategy, and attempted to challenge the Frenchman for sixth place. His efforts were unsuccessful, however, as Isack Hadjar defended the position until the chequered flag.
The Red Bull driver managed his tyres almost perfectly, allowing him to retain sixth place despite the pressure from behind. He gained an impressive 15 positions and continued a strong campaign that has been developing steadily since Melbourne.
Those results can only please Red Bull’s senior management in Milton Keynes. After several inconsistent seasons, the team can now rely on a productive driver pairing capable of delivering valuable championship points.
Isack Hadjar praises Red Bull’s strategy and race pace
After the race, Isack Hadjar explained how he had initially been uncertain about Red Bull’s pit-stop strategy before recognising why the team had made the decision.
“I’m happy. At the beginning, I was a little confused about the pit stops, but I trust the guys a lot,” the French driver said. “After a few laps, I really understood why we had done it. It was worth it, and I think the pace on the hard tyres during the second stint was really strong. I’m very satisfied.”
There was still some frustration, however. Without the grid penalty, how high could Isack Hadjar have finished? The Red Bull driver believes a podium challenge may have been possible based on the pace he showed throughout the weekend.
“At the same time, it is frustrating because I feel that, had we completed the weekend without the penalty, we could have fought for the podium given the pace we had,” Isack Hadjar continued. “It is a bit of a shame.
“On the one hand, it is surprising because I did not expect a circuit like this to suit us, but I am not particularly surprised by my own performance or by the fact that I finally demonstrated very strong race pace in clean air.”
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