Laurent Mekies has high praise for Isack Hadjar. The Racing Bulls driver has impressively bounced back from his crash during the Australian Grand Prix with strong qualifying results and multiple points finishes. But the Frenchman also garners much admiration off the track: his dedication and attitude impress team boss Mekies.
Laurent Mekies commends Isack Hadjar for his ‘extraordinary’ impact behind the scenes. “Isack is an extraordinary figure. He is young, just twenty years old, but fits so well within the team,” he tells Autosport. “He is daring, funny, and interacts with different generations. Look at what he does behind the scenes and socially, and you’ll see what a sincere, humorous, and down-to-earth figure he is.”
As soon as Hadjar gets behind the wheel of the VCARB 02, the Racing Bulls team boss notices a striking shift. “But on the other hand, as soon as he gets in the car and puts on his helmet, he turns into the most competitive person you can imagine. Someone who engages in the battle with the fierceness we love.”
Talent Always Wins
Hadjar’s Formula 1 debut was one to quickly forget. In the soaking wet conditions during the Australian Grand Prix, he crashed in the formation lap, after which he visibly upset, walked back to the garage. However, the Frenchman impressively recovered. He qualified seventh for both the Chinese Grand Prix and the Japanese Grand Prix. At Suzuka, the 20-year-old Parisian scored his first F1 points with an eighth-place finish. In Saudi Arabia, he climbed from P14 to P10 and scored again. “Of course, he took a big hit in Melbourne during the incident in the formation lap. But in the end, talent always wins,” says Mekies.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko initially called Hadjar’s reaction a ‘disgraceful display’, but has since completely changed his tune. “For me, Hadjar is the revelation of this first phase of the world championship. He didn’t know most of the circuits, but he was fast from the start and made few mistakes,” Marko writes in his column for Speedweek.
