Isack Hadjar made an immediate impact on his Formula 1 return in Baku, qualifying fourth for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after missing the previous three races with a wrist injury. The Red Bull driver believes an even stronger result was within reach, arguing that with more recent time in the car he could have challenged for second place on the grid.
The Frenchman had not competed since the Hungarian Grand Prix at the end of July, having been forced to sit out Zandvoort, Monza and Madrid. Despite the long absence, Hadjar finished Q3 just 0.137 seconds behind Charles Leclerc, who secured second place, although pole-sitter George Russell remained more than eight tenths clear.
Isack Hadjar believes second place was within reach in Baku
“Nothing exceptional,” Hadjar told reporters in Baku, including Motorsport.com. “I feel like I would have needed just a few more laps in the car to genuinely be second on the grid. It’s all pretty close at the front.”
Hadjar recorded a 1:43.500 in Q3. His lap was also quicker than that of the sister Red Bull driven by Max Verstappen, who could manage only eighth after encountering a battery problem.
“I’m happy with myself,” Hadjar said. “It’s just that, you know, if I had raced the last three races, then I would definitely be second on the grid. I just feel like it’s a difficult track to come back at after two months.”
Hadjar’s fourth place represented his strongest qualifying performance since the season-opening race in Melbourne, where he started third. His Baku result was particularly notable given both the length of his absence and the unforgiving nature of the Azerbaijan street circuit.
Hadjar deliberately avoided risks during Azerbaijan GP comeback
Rather than immediately pushing to the limit, Hadjar explained that he had deliberately built up his confidence over the course of the weekend. Staying away from Baku’s walls was the priority during the early stages of his return.
“I told myself that it was mandatory not to touch the wall or anything,” he explained. “For a comeback, there’s no point taking a lot of risks, to be honest. So I was really driving a little bit below the limit all weekend in the very tight sections. I think I just made that natural step in Q3.”
His confidence began to increase towards the end of Q2, when Hadjar finally started exploring more of the car’s potential.
“But I really had everything under control and I started having a bit more fun at the end of Q2. I was really taking risks and actually, for the first time this weekend, I went long and had a lock-up. So yes, it was a smart approach.”
Red Bull feels better in corners but Mercedes remains out of reach
Hadjar also noticed a clear difference in the Red Bull compared with the car he last drove in Budapest. He felt the team had improved its balance and cornering behaviour during his absence, with the change noticeable from his opening laps of the weekend.
“It feels better in the corners compared to when I left the car in Budapest,” he said. “We have definitely made a step forward with the balance. Just the behaviour of the car straight away, on the first lap yesterday, I told myself: this is better.”
However, Hadjar acknowledged that Mercedes remained beyond Red Bull’s reach in Baku, particularly because of its performance on the long straights. Russell’s commanding pole position underlined that advantage, while Leclerc completed the front row ahead of Hadjar. A full overview of the leading qualifying positions can also be found in the Azerbaijan GP qualifying report.
“The Mercedes cars are just fast on the straights, really very fast,” Hadjar said. “It’s not that they aren’t fast in the corners, they are still the fastest, but it’s just that when you’re on the straight into Turn 3, we struggle a lot.”
Even so, fourth place marked an impressive return for Hadjar after three consecutive races on the sidelines. Having deliberately left a margin during much of the weekend before increasing the risk in qualifying, the Red Bull driver emerged from Saturday convinced that his ultimate pace in Baku could have been enough for a front-row position with more recent mileage behind him.
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