Isack Hadjar had a challenging race at the Singapore Grand Prix. The Frenchman experienced engine trouble just before his pit stop, significantly affecting his performance. Despite his efforts, he had to settle for eleventh place, just outside the points.
“It wasn’t a good race,” Hadjar reflects. “We encountered a problem just before the pit stop, and from that point on, it was simply a long, grueling race. I couldn’t really do anything and was just hoping that the others wouldn’t overtake me too quickly – but unfortunately, they did.” According to Hadjar, the traffic on the track also played a significant role. “We lost a lot of time due to blue flags; we were really hit by that. Carlos Sainz managed to pit just before the blue flags and benefited from that. Despite the engine problem, we as a team should have performed better.”
Hadjar was terse about the engine problem: “It just wasn’t good. We could keep up in the corners, but we simply fell short on the straights. That’s frustrating, but at least I know it wasn’t my fault. I gave it my all, and finishing eleventh despite the problem isn’t actually that bad.”
‘Grumpy Alonso’
During his race with engine problems, Isack Hadjar found himself in a duel with Fernando Alonso, who was making his way through the field. The Spaniard sarcastically dubbed Hadjar ‘the hero of the race’ after the event, claiming that the Frenchman defended too fiercely. According to Alonso, Hadjar should have known better and not resisted a driver with full engine power. Hadjar himself was unfazed by this. “I didn’t push him off the track. I kept it clean,” he said after the race. “If he didn’t enjoy that fight, then he’s just grumpy, and there’s nothing I can do about that.”
