Isack Hadjar reflects on a ‘perfect’ weekend in Monaco. The Parisian, partly due to Lewis Hamilton‘s grid penalty, qualified fifth and ultimately crossed the finish line in sixth place. Thanks to good teamwork with Liam Lawson, who also finished in the points for Racing Bulls, Hadjar held his own impressively among the established names at the front. As a result, the 20-year-old driver is increasingly coming into the spotlight.
After a strong qualification, Isack Hadjar secured the fifth starting position for the Monaco GP – his best qualifying result ever in Formula 1. At the start, he managed to maintain his position, despite pressure from multiple world champions Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Meanwhile, the team made optimal use of the new pit stop rules in Monaco. Teammate Liam Lawson held up the pursuing field, allowing Hadjar to make his pit stops without losing much ground.
“It was a perfect weekend for me,” Isack Hadjar responded after the race. “Honestly, I had a lot of fun yesterday – much more than today – but the race was perfectly executed.” Even as a rookie, the French-Algerian driver realized that the Monaco GP is not very spectacular in a Formula 1 car; overtaking proved to be almost impossible again.
Rookie of the Year?
“Liam (Lawson) helped me a lot,” he added. “It was great teamwork and he also scored points. Honestly, I’m just incredibly proud. After Friday, confidence was quite low, and the third free practice was really tough. I had little confidence in the car, but somehow we managed to turn the tide. As a team, that’s a great achievement, so I’m very proud of those guys,” he concluded with a grin.”
The success of Isack Hadjar is not going unnoticed. While relatively little was expected from this Red Bull junior prior to the season, he is garnering increasing praise on social media. The 20-year-old driver, who finished second in the Formula 2 championship last year, is also making a strong impression among experts. With so many new faces, the title of ‘rookie of the year’ is more coveted this season than ever, but many believe Hadjar already stands a strong chance. His performance in Monaco has certainly put him in the spotlight.
A radiant Isack Hadjar during the race weekend in Monaco.
