Isack Hadjar Accepts Punishment, Calls His Car “a Luxury”

Isack Hadjar has smiled again. The French Red Bull driver, who missed three Grands Prix due to a wrist injury suffered during the summer break has completed his second race since his return with a performance that invites optimism. In qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Hadjar set the third best time although he will start eighth after receiving a five-place penalty for mounting his seventh internal combustion engine when only four are allowed.

"It's a bit unfortunate that we have to serve the penalty at the track where we are so fast. But from eighth position I hope we can come back and get a good result" Hadjar declared after the session. The Frenchman showed himself especially satisfied with the behavior of the RB22 a car that according to his words, allows him to feel competitive even when not everything goes perfectly: "It's the first time in my life that I feel we are doing a terrible job and we are third, that's the advantage of having a very good car and I'm not going to lie it's very satisfying" he stated with a smile.

Hadjar's performance in Sepang has been notable, the Frenchman was close to the pace of his teammate, Max Verstappen, who achieved pole position and even came close to the possibility of locking out the front row for Red Bull, however an imperfect last lap left him in third position: "I was quite happy until that last lap and then it's as if we had a downgrade on that final lap in every aspect. In the tires in the grip I felt, we were low on power... nothing really aligned when I felt an easy P2 was achievable" he explained.

Despite the disappointment at not having achieved a better result in qualifying, Hadjar faces the race with optimism, the Frenchman is aware that coming back from eighth position in Sepang will not be simple: "It's going to be very difficult to overtake just with pure pace and having to go for it on a track like this, all the temperatures are through the roof and following other cars is going to be complicated so I think the only way is to be smart with the strategy, as clean as possible and go for it, it's going to be fun" he noted.

Hadjar's return to competition has been one of the positive points of the final stretch of the season: the Frenchman who had already demonstrated his talent before the injury with eight results among the top ten and a podium in Monaco, has confirmed on his return that he is prepared to compete at the highest level. His ability to adapt quickly to changing conditions and his maturity behind the wheel make him a key piece for Red Bull in the fight for the constructors' championship.

Sunday's race will be a test of fire for Hadjar and for Red Bull, Verstappen will start from pole, while the Frenchman will have to come back from eighth position on a circuit where tire management and strategy will be decisive.

The Austrian team trusts that both drivers can score valuable points and keep their aspirations alive in a championship that enters its decisive phase.