After seeing a potential podium slip away in Monaco and enduring a frustrating weekend in Barcelona, Isack Hadjar remains optimistic about Red Bull’s chances heading into its home race at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Red Bull Ring weekend, the French driver expressed confidence that the characteristics of the Austrian circuit could allow the team to perform at a significantly higher level than it did in Spain.
Hadjar optimistic about Red Bull’s chances
The Austrian circuit is one of the shortest tracks on the Formula 1 calendar, with lap times separated by incredibly small margins. According to Hadjar, that could work in Red Bull’s favour and potentially create an opportunity to challenge for a podium finish: “I mean, considering how short the circuit is, it could be the same or even better — a podium,” Hadjar explained. “So I think we will have a much stronger car.”
The Frenchman believes the team has a realistic chance of bouncing back after a difficult outing in Barcelona, where several issues combined to compromise the overall result.
Barcelona problems still fresh in his mind
While discussing the Spanish Grand Prix, Hadjar admitted he was still struggling to understand exactly what went wrong during a key moment of the weekend.
“I don’t know what happened. Out of the six practice starts we did throughout the weekend, that one was the worst,” he said – “And of course it had to happen on the grid. I stalled twice, which had never happened to me all season.”
The incident left the driver frustrated, particularly because it followed a weekend during which similar problems had not appeared. According to Hadjar, the team now needs to simplify and improve certain procedures to avoid a repeat of the issue in future races.
“We need to solve these problems because the procedure is too complicated. I’m not a computer, I’m not a machine, I can’t be accurate to 0.001. That’s not how it works.”
His comments reflect the fine margins that often define Formula 1, where even the smallest error or technical inconsistency can have significant consequences on race day.
A weakness Red Bull still needs to address
Beyond the start procedure issues, Hadjar also identified an area where he believes Red Bull is currently losing performance compared to its direct rivals.
“As for our car compared to the others, I think we’re lacking a bit of performance in high-speed corners,” he explained – “Corner entry and everything that happens at high speed — we’re a little behind.”
That assessment suggests Red Bull may still be searching for improvements in aerodynamic efficiency and overall balance, particularly in the faster sections of a lap where confidence and stability are crucial. The Red Bull Ring presents a different challenge compared to Barcelona, however. While the Austrian track features several fast corners, it also places a strong emphasis on traction, acceleration and straight-line speed.
For that reason, Hadjar believes the team has every reason to expect a stronger showing. If Red Bull can eliminate the operational issues that hurt its performance in Spain and maximise the strengths of its package, the French driver sees no reason why a podium finish cannot be within reach at the team’s home Grand Prix.
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