Isack Hadjar laments lost chance following collision with George Russell at the Mexico Grand Prix.
Launching into the race of your life only to be derailed just a few corners later is a guaranteed recipe for a disappointing Sunday. Just ask Isack Hadjar.
Starting from seventh position on the grid at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the Red Bull driver executed a perfect getaway. He aggressively maneuvered through the field to clinch fifth place during the initial corners, appearing ready for a significant points finish. However, that early momentum came to an abrupt stop at Turn 6.
In a desperate bid to recover from his own sluggish start, George Russell darted his Mercedes up the inside. The ensuing collision sent the Frenchman spinning towards the back of the field. Although the FIA stewards handed the Mercedes driver a 10-second penalty, the impact on Red Bull's race strategy was already irreversible.
The Turn 6 Incident
Speaking in the paddock after the chaos subsided, the 22-year-old did not hide his disappointment over the lost chance.
"Today was really unfortunate," Hadjar stated. "We knew the car had pace going into the race, so we focused on making a strong start, and that's precisely what we did. I got up to fifth and felt really confident through the early corners."
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Unfortunately for the team from Milton Keynes, that early confidence vanished the moment Russell's front wing arrived at the braking zone.
"Sadly, George put a wheel up the inside at T6, and I was sent straight to the back," he reflected. "From that point on, it was going to be incredibly difficult to get back into the points."
A Chain Reaction of Misfortune for Hadjar
Having to completely abandon its original strategy, the pitwall took a gamble and switched its driver to the medium compound to seek out clean air. While the RB22 clearly had the speed, the narrow configuration of the Mexico City circuit makes navigating through the midfield a daunting task.
To complicate matters, luck continued to evade Hadjar.
"We pitted onto the Medium, and in the clear air, I could feel the pace, but overtaking on this track is quite challenging," the young driver elaborated. "We got unlucky with the Safety Car timing, and then, on the second restart, I dropped back again as I found myself on the grass."
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Despite the spin on Lap 1, unfortunate caution periods, and being forced off the track during a tumultuous restart, Hadjar was still able to fight his way back to ninth place. Looking forward to the final segment of the triple-header, the Red Bull team is confident they possess the capability to rebound.
"It hasn’t been the best weekend, but the car was very quick, and our starts were solid, so there are definitely some positives as we head into Brazil," he concluded.
More from this section
Kimi Antonelli acknowledges that George Russell continues to possess one significant edge over him.
Ralf Schumacher claims that Lewis Hamilton is behaving like “Al Capone” during the controversy surrounding the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen humorously highlights the main distinction between himself and Kimi Antonelli at 20: “He converses in Italian!”
Kimi Antonelli will pay tribute to Ayrton Senna by wearing a special helmet during the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Laurent Mekies: Charles Leclerc’s penalty “seemed somewhat lenient”
