Ahead of this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix, Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar opened up about the support he received from Anthony and Lewis Hamilton in the wake of his brutal exit from last Sunday's the Australian Grand Prix.
The young Frenchman’s first F1 race ended before it even began when he spun into the barriers during the formation lap at a wet Albert Park Circuit.
Visibly emotional after the crash as he walked back through the paddock, Hadjar was comforted by Anthony Hamilton who offered him a warm embrace and a moment of reflection that resonated deeply with the RB apprentice.
Reflecting on the interaction in Shanghai on Thursday, Hadjar described it as a “special moment.”
“He said it reminded him of Lewis parking the car in the pit entry in Shanghai,” Hadjar explained. “It was a nice moment, sharing time with someone like Anthony, the dad of my idol.
“It was quite a special moment. Lewis sent me a message later that day, so they’re really classy guys.”
For a young 20-year-old navigating the brutal highs and lows of his first F1 season, the Hamiltons’ compassion offered a rare glimpse of the sport’s human side – a lifeline as he prepared to reset in Shanghai.
Read also: Ralf Schumacher slams Marko’s harsh take on Hadjar’s tears
As for Helmut Marko labelling Hadjar’s emotional reaction as “embarrassing” – a view many believed only added insult to injury – the young gun was unbothered by the Red Bull motorsport advisor’s seemingly disparaging comment.
“I found it embarrassing, myself,” he admitted.
“Helmut, I had him on the phone a day later and it’s all good. I’ve known him [for] a few years now, I know how he works.
“Also, another point, I think [when he] said that he was speaking German, it was reinterpreted differently. You don’t know about the body language, I didn’t see the footage. So I can’t say much.”
Rising from the Rubble: Hadjar’s Quick Recovery
The Melbourne disappointment could have lingered, but Hadjar’s resilience shone through almost immediately.
“I would say on Monday already I felt quite a lot better, especially knowing it’s a back-to-back weekend, so [it’s] good to be back quite early rather than having a month to dwell on it,” he remarked.
The tight schedule between Australia and China left little room for brooding, and Hadjar seized the opportunity to refocus. His debut may have ended in the barriers, but the weekend wasn’t without its positives – particularly the pace he’d shown before the crash.
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Reflecting on his performance, Hadjar highlighted the unexpected competitiveness of his Racing Bulls machine.
“I would say we were surprisingly faster than we thought,” he said, contrasting Melbourne’s clarity with the murkier picture from pre-season testing in Bahrain.
“Looking at Bahrain [pre-season testing], it’s hard to really understand where you’re at in the midfield, you don’t know how much everyone is hiding or not,” he explained.
“But going into Melbourne, the car was really good, and straight from FP1 I think I had a really nice feeling with the car. I was quite comfortable and I was as close as Yuki [Tsunoda] as I wanted to be, so I think there were lots of positives in terms of pure performance.”
Matching strides with his experienced teammate was a quiet victory – one Hadjar intends to carry forward.
Shanghai’s Sprint: A Familiar Challenge, A New Stage
Now, as the Racing Bulls charger gears up for this weekend’s round of racing in Shanghai, he faces a fresh test: a Sprint weekend with just one practice session before qualifying.
The track is new to him, but the format isn’t.
“In terms of the approach, I would say I’m quite used to this; [during] the last three years that’s what I’ve been doing [in Formula 2 and Formula 3], with FP and straight into qualifying with only a few push laps,” he conceded.
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His time in the junior formulae has honed his ability to adapt quickly, and countless simulator laps have mapped Shanghai’s layout in his mind. Still, he admitted to a touch of pragmatism.
“So the approach I know. I know how to get it right, but of course I would rather have three practice sessions.”
For Hadjar, this weekend is more than a race—it’s a chance to rewrite his F1 debut. The echoes of Melbourne, softened by the Hamiltons’ grace, have fueled a quiet determination.
With a car that’s shown its teeth and a rookie who’s tasted both failure and promise, Shanghai beckons as the next chapter in a journey already rich with lessons.
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