Isack Hadjar opened for Red Bull on Monday; during the first closed test day in Barcelona the young Parisian logged more than a hundred laps. Afterwards he shared his first impressions of the RB22 and of the new Red Bull power unit. Hadjar admitted the team were surprised by how many laps they could complete with the new equipment. He also seems to feel completely at home in the new cockpit.
“It was a productive day,” Isack Hadjar said Monday evening. “That we could do so many laps came as a surprise. We really didn’t expect that beforehand. Everything ran pretty smoothly anyway. The issues we had were just minor things. That’s quite impressive when you consider this was the first day with our own power unit. So yes, all in all it went very well.”
‘Cars respond more predictably’
Hadjar was then asked about the feel behind the wheel. The RB22 follows — in line with the new regulations — a completely new design philosophy. The FIA has introduced a number of new modes; with more electrical power the drivers will have additional tools to find speed and to execute overtakes. “The cars are certainly a lot lighter,” Hadjar observed. “They also respond more predictably, which makes the steering straightforward. That makes it easier to try different things. As for the engine, there are many more options for a driver to explore. I was able to test that a little today, and it was very interesting.”
It was the first time Isack Hadjar ran with a Red Bull power unit. After the split with Honda the Austrian squad joined forces with Ford and developed its own Formula 1 power unit. “For a first day it was fine,” Hadjar said of the engine. “It doesn’t feel very different from what I’m used to. Of course there are still a few things that need fine-tuning, but otherwise it’s good.” For the Frenchman it was also his first official running as a Red Bull driver. “I couldn’t have prepared better,” he grinned. “So I’m happy this first day went so well. That doesn’t mean the work is anywhere near finished.”
