Isack Hadjar endured a difficult start to the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, with a Red Bull power unit problem disrupting his opening practice session before an unpleasant incident involving a fan in the Formula 1 paddock. The French driver was filmed repeatedly pushing away a spectator who had approached him for a photograph, shortly after agreeing to take a selfie with another supporter.
The two incidents added to a frustrating opening day for Isack Hadjar, who had already lost valuable track time at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The weekend also comes after a difficult United States Grand Prix in Austin, where the Red Bull driver experienced further frustrations involving strategy and engine management.
Isack Hadjar suffers Red Bull power unit problems in Mexico GP FP1
The Mexican Grand Prix weekend did not begin as Isack Hadjar would have hoped. The French driver was forced to interrupt his opening free practice session because of a power unit problem, losing valuable running time and leaving himself with work to recover during FP2, scheduled to begin at 23:00 Italian time.
The technical setback disrupted his preparations at a circuit where the unusual operating conditions already make power unit management particularly demanding. Mexico City’s altitude creates additional challenges for Formula 1 teams, particularly concerning engine performance and cooling.
Red Bull’s power unit difficulties have also been a recurring subject of discussion following the United States Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen revealed engine-related problems that had affected his performance in Austin.
Video shows Isack Hadjar pushing a fan in Mexico City paddock
Beyond his difficulties on track, Isack Hadjar was involved in an unpleasant encounter with a spectator in the Mexico City paddock. After agreeing to take a selfie with a young supporter wearing a Red Bull shirt, the French driver encountered another fan who appeared considerably more persistent in his attempts to obtain a photograph.
Footage circulating on social media shows Isack Hadjar indicating from the outset that he did not want to stop for a photograph. The spectator continued approaching him, and the Red Bull driver responded by pushing him away several times.
The incident was captured in a video shared on X on 30 October 2026, showing the interaction as Isack Hadjar attempted to continue walking through the paddock.
Watch the video of Isack Hadjar’s encounter with a fan in the Mexico City paddock, shared by 1F #MexicoGP (@1FMasters) on 30 October 2026.
The footage shows the driver’s reluctance to engage with the spectator, followed by repeated physical attempts to move him away. The encounter has attracted attention alongside the technical problems that complicated the opening stages of his Mexican Grand Prix weekend.
Isack Hadjar’s frustration follows difficult Austin GP
Managing his emotions and frustration is an area in which Isack Hadjar still has room to improve. Despite securing a contract extension, the Red Bull driver has adopted an increasingly forceful tone in radio exchanges with his team over recent weeks.
Seven days earlier, during the United States Grand Prix in Austin, the Frenchman had disagreed with the team’s decision to use hard tyres for his second stint. That frustration may also have contributed to a significant lapse in concentration, which saw Isack Hadjar complete more than half the race using a suboptimal engine mode.
The Austin episode illustrated the difficulties the young driver has faced in managing race situations when decisions do not unfold as expected. His frustration over tyre strategy came during a weekend in which Red Bull also faced wider questions about its race execution, with Max Verstappen demanding explanations from the team following the United States Grand Prix.
Isack Hadjar’s Mexican Grand Prix weekend has therefore begun with difficulties both on and off the track. After losing running time because of the power unit issue and becoming involved in the paddock confrontation, the French driver faces the task of refocusing on his performance as the weekend continues.
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