After every Formula 1 race, driver Jeroen Bleekemolen shares his observations in an exclusive column for Formule1.nl. Who or what caught his eye, what went well, and what needs to change? This time, after the Dutch GP in Zandvoort, he pays special attention to Isack Hadjar, who scored his very first podium in Formula 1 in a Racing Bull. Something Jeroen Bleekemolen did not see coming…
I must admit that Isack Hadjar has surprised me greatly this season. To be completely honest, I initially didn’t see much in him. Sure, he almost became champion in Formula 2 last year, but he also had the best car with the best setup at Campos. I was actually more impressed by a number of other drivers. I didn’t think Hadjar was a bad driver, but certainly not a discovery or a great promise.
However, one season is not like the other. In Formula 1, he had a somewhat cold start in Australia when he shot off the track during the warm-up lap, but since then his development has been almost a steep upward line. With this weekend in Zandvoort as the provisional highlight. A fourth time in qualifying and a third place in the race, that’s just really good. Hadjar was top all weekend!
A Remarkable Young Man
If you listened to Hadjar’s on-board radios in Formula 2 last season, and actually this season as well, you get the image of an emotional young man. He is so wild, so emotional, sometimes even panicky. But in the end, he delivers. Considering that he even had to miss a free practice in Zandvoort and then managed to put that car on P4 in qualifying and was not slower than Max Verstappen in the race the next day, yes, we are talking about a remarkable young man here.
Of course, this also says something about the Racing Bulls’ car. It’s certainly not bad at the moment. In fact, it might be very good. But it primarily speaks volumes about Isack Hadjar himself. He’s making a mark. He’s high on emotion, which fits his character. His heart rate is probably also high, but he has everything under control, which I didn’t expect. If you look at some other rookies in Formula 1, he definitely stands out in a positive way.
The big question now, of course, is: what next? There’s a good chance that Red Bull’s management will put him next to Oscar Piastri in a Red Bull car next year. But if I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t really want that. I would think: let this opportunity pass. But I also understand that in practice, you can’t, shouldn’t, or won’t say no that easily. And Hadjar is, of course, a confident young man, someone who doesn’t doubt himself. Certainly not with these kinds of results to his name.
Hadjar a Better Option than Tsunoda
If you purely look at Hadjar’s qualities as a driver and compare them to Yuki Tsunoda, Max’s current teammate at Red Bull, I personally think Hadjar is the best option for Red Bull. Yes, he has less experience than Tsunoda, but he has more potential. Alex Palou’s name has, of course, already been mentioned as a candidate for the second seat next to Max. And I would find that quite interesting, as Palou is a guy who, in my opinion, has a lot of talent.
But whoever Red Bull chooses, it will always be a risk. History has proven that. In fact, theoretically: Even Lando Norris or Formula One car might start doubting if they were to drive next to Max. Because of Max, but certainly also because of the car. Believe me, it’s really bad.
