Isack Hadjar celebrated his first Formula 1 podium during the past race weekend in Zandvoort. The young Racing Bulls driver, after a strong qualification, capitalized on Lando Norris‘s retirement and finished in an impressive third place. This performance has only further fueled rumors of a possible move to the main Red Bull team. However, top advisor Helmut Marko remains non-committal about Hadjar’s future.
Marko naturally sang praises of the French rookie after his first podium. Hadjar started from a commendable fourth place after an impressive qualification, in which he left both George Russell and the two Ferraris behind. Despite the pressure from Leclerc and Russell, the Parisian managed to hold his position admirably, securing the podium following Norris’s retirement.
After the race, Marko was asked by Sky Sports about both Hadjar and Max Verstappen, who finished second in front of his home crowd. “Max was lucky that Lando (Norris) had engine trouble,” said the Austrian. “McLaren could certainly have gone a second faster per lap. Meanwhile, Hadjar was having a dispute with Charles Leclerc,” he continued, “who in turn was having a dispute with Russell. But Hadjar remained calm and made no mistakes.”
‘He Has Something Special’
“Even a fourth place would have been a great achievement, but this podium is even more surprising,” Marko continued. “He absolutely deserved it.” The Red Bull boss even compared Hadjar to Alain Prost, the French champion known for his analytical driving style and calculated overtaking maneuvers. “We selected Hadjar ourselves, so we knew he had something special,” Marko explained. “At first, I called him ‘the little Prost’ – people laughed at that, but now he’s proving it.”
“It’s impressive how he’s competitive after just three laps on a new circuit,” Marko continued his praise. “This weekend he immediately said: ‘I know where I’m fast, I’m going to qualify in the top five.’ And he made it happen. That self-confidence is special.” Whether Hadjar is ready for a promotion to the main Red Bull team, however, Marko left open. “We’ll decide on that later,” he concluded mysteriously.
