Hadjar Encouraged by Competitive F1 Practice Run for Red Bull
Hadjar Impresses in Red Bull F1 Practice Debut at Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI, UAE – Red Bull junior driver Isack Hadjar delivered a strong performance in his latest Formula 1 practice outing, leaving him feeling “competitive” after taking the wheel of Max Verstappen’s car at the Yas marina Circuit.
Hadjar, who is rumored to be in line for a promotion to Red Bull’s second F1 team next year, completed 22 laps during the first practice session, finishing within four-tenths of a second of Sergio Perez in the team’s other car.
“It was intense,” Hadjar told the official F1 channel. “I’ve done much more laps than usual. It was a great run plan, honestly I really enjoyed the session. I got plenty of laps. It didn’t start really well for me, but I improved quite rapidly and I was happy with the long run performance. And I was competitive as well in the short run. So it was not bad.”
Despite this being his fourth FP1 session, Hadjar admitted he still feels like a rookie every time he jumps into an F1 car.
“Everything comes at you so fast,” he explained. “I still didn’t explore all the limits of the car, so just on feeling, I can learn a lot still.”
1323435HiRes-470×313.jpg” alt=”Isack Hadjar, Campos, Formula 2, Yas Marina, 2024″ width=”470″ height=”313″>Following his F1 practice debut, Hadjar returned to the track for the Formula 2 qualifying session, where he secured fourth place on the grid.The frenchman highlighted the stark contrast between the two categories, describing the F2 car as “super-slow” in comparison to the F1 machine.
“Everything comes at you slowly, but at the same time it’s incredibly physical without power steering,” he said. “So I had to get back to it and get used to it, which was really tough.They are 15 seconds a lap slower – it’s huge.”
Hadjar’s extraordinary performance in the Red Bull will undoubtedly fuel speculation about his future in Formula 1.
Two Wheels, Two Worlds: An Interview with F1 Hopeful Isack Hadjar
NewsDirectory3.com: Isack, congratulations on a fantastic FP1 performance in abu Dhabi. You were right there with Sergio Perez. How are you feeling after the session?
Isack Hadjar: It was intense! Much more laps than usual, but the team had a great run plan. Honestly, I really enjoyed the session. I got plenty of laps in. It didn’t start amazingly, but I improved quickly and was happy with my long run performance. I was competitive in the short run too, so it wasn’t bad at all.
NewsDirectory3.com:You’ve now taken part in four FP1 sessions. Do you feel more cozy each time you get in thes cars?
Isack Hadjar: Even though this is my fourth FP1, I still feel like a rookie every time I jump in. Everything comes at you so fast. I still haven’t pushed the car to its absolute limit, so there’s a lot I can still learn just by feeling.
NewsDirectory3.com: Switching gears, you went straight from the F1 car back into the F2 car for qualifying. What’s the biggest difference you notice between the two?
Isack Hadjar: It’s crazy! The F2 car feels super-slow in comparison. Everything comes at you so much slower,but at the same time it’s incredibly physically demanding without power steering. It was tough to get back into it, to be honest.
NewsDirectory3.com: They say 15 seconds a lap separates an F2 car from an F1 car. That’s a massive gap!
Isack Hadjar: It really is huge. It’s a completely different world.