Isack Hadjar expressed his frustration following mechanical issues at the Singapore GP.
Isack Hadjar was left feeling “frustrated” after a series of mechanical issues marred his Saturday at the Singapore Grand Prix, resulting in a back row starting position for Sunday’s Formula 1 race.
A violation of track limits forced the Red Bull driver to begin the sprint from ninth place, but he had to retire after just two laps due to a power unit malfunction.
The Austrian team managed to provisionally fix the RB22 in time for qualifying, but a faulty fourth gear meant Hadjar could not set a lap time and was subsequently eliminated from Q1.
This continues a troubling trend of mechanical failures for the 22-year-old, who last weekend at Sepang dropped to fifth place due to a battery malfunction.
“It's really frustrating because I just want to drive,” Hadjar expressed. “I just want to get out there and go new tyre after new tyre, and now I can't do that. I'm stuck in... yeah, I'm just really, really frustrated.”
His retirement from the sprint created quite a buzz online as he veered into the Turn 5 escape road, stopping near the Marina Bay paddock entrance.
“I don't know, I stopped just for safety, but it wasn't clear,” Hadjar explained. “I just didn't know where the safest spot was.”
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
“So, yeah. I don't know. My car caught fire and everything. It was just a disaster. Today, honestly, I could have stayed back in Paris. It would have been the same.”
Hadjar’s frustrations may be amplified by the achievements of his teammate Max Verstappen, who claimed victory in both the Sepang Grand Prix and the Singapore sprint from pole position.
The four-time world champion will also start Sunday’s race from that same spot, indicating that there is clear potential in the RB22, but Hadjar has not been able to take advantage of it.
He believes that the sprint weekend format complicates things for him, as there's only one practice session, restricting how much teams can adjust under parc ferme regulations.
“For me, that's the issue with these weekends,” the Frenchman noted. “You don't have the opportunity to work on the car. Like, it’s just impossible. You basically need to get lucky.
“There's no testing. I guess it’s not entertaining for people to watch us do a lot of testing. But it’s crucial for us, and now... yeah, the car was handling terribly.
“I was looking forward to today to see what the changes would bring. I was eager to see how I could perform with the engine that was functioning well, and now I don’t get to do that, so it’s tough to learn anything on weekends like this.”
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