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The scorching Saudi Arabian sun wasn’t the only source of heat for Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar last weekend in Jeddah where the Frenchman faced intense pressure from his teammate, Liam Lawson.
The Kiwi, recently demoted from Red Bull Racing to its sister outfit outqualified Hadjar for the first time by 0.227s in Q2.
Despite a 10-second penalty dropping him to 12th in the final classification, Lawson finished just 1.4s behind Hadjar’s 10th place, showcasing his strong pace.
For Hadjar, the race was a stark reminder of the challenge posed by his revived teammate.
“This weekend he was really, really fast,” the 20-year-old said of Lawson.
“In qualifying, he made the most of the car. He’s definitely getting stronger now, definitely pushing me just like Yuki [Tsunoda] was pushing me as well.”
Hadjar’s words reflect the steep learning curve he’s navigating, with Lawson’s resurgence adding fuel to an already competitive dynamic within Racing Bulls.
Lawson’s race was a tale of frustration, as his medium-to-hard tyre strategy mirrored most of the field but failed to deliver. Starting 12th, he carved through the pack, overtaking Alonso, Bortoleto, Doohan, Ocon, and Stroll, only to be hampered by the penalty for his off-track move on Doohan.
“Unfortunately, my [strategy] didn’t work today, we spent the race overtaking cars,” Lawson lamented.
“The end of our race was absolutely flat out, trying to make a 10-second gap to Fernando, but it wasn’t for the points anyway. It’s a shame we just ended up on the wrong end of it today.”
Yet, Lawson echoed Hadjar’s assessment of his form, noting, “I think this is the fastest we’ve been, but just unfortunately not enough.”
When asked if he was now fully dialled in, he added: “I think so. Obviously we didn’t quite have the speed of the top teams yesterday, so we’ll try and work on improving this for Miami.”
Hadjar, meanwhile, executed what he called a “perfect” race on an alternate hard-to-medium strategy, clinching a single point in 10th.
But the final 10 laps left him frustrated, stuck behind the Williams duo of Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon despite fresher tyres.
“It was a perfect race, and to get only one point is a bit… harsh,” he said. “When I knew the two Williams were ahead of me after the pitstop, I knew I was… cooked.”
Reflecting on his recovery from a crushing crash in Australia’s season-opener, Hadjar’s passion shone through: “It’s the love for racing. I just love it so much, just committed to it.
“That’s why a tough hit like Melbourne is not enough to bring me down, because I love driving and giving my best.”
As the team heads to Miami next week, Hadjar’s love for racing and Lawson’s hunger for redemption promise more thrilling battles, both against the field and within the garage.
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