Isack Hadjar was unable to finish the Australian Grand Prix for the second year in a row. In lap twelve, the brand-new Red Bull driver came to a standstill, causing his debut for the Austrian team to come to nothing. A disappointment, according to Hadjar, who says he otherwise could have taken the fight to Lewis Hamilton: ‘The engine sounded terrible, so I knew I wouldn’t finish the race’.
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Isack Hadjar’s bad luck during the Australian GP continues. Last year, the young driver crashed during the formation lap in Melbourne. Twelve months later, Hadjar was able to start the Australian race, but after twelve laps he came to a standstill. Problems with the Red Bull power unit of his RB22 meant that the driver was once again unable to cross the finish line.
For Hadjar, the retirement was extra bitter because he had a flying start. “The start was great,” the Red Bull driver told the media present afterwards. “I started the race without a battery. I had a very good start and easily took the lead, so that was at least a positive point of the day: that we had very good starts. And then when I thought I could take the lead, I had no more power, so that was great,” says a sarcastic Hadjar. “You can imagine I needed a few laps to recover. The engine sounded terrible, so I knew I wouldn’t finish the race. It was just a shame. I think we could have fought with Lewis.”
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‘Not a technical problem’
The brand-new Red Bull driver was then asked about the cause behind his retirement. “No, it’s not a technical problem. It was just… we have to do our best to prevent this from happening,” said Hadjar. “We also didn’t manage to simulate this during the six days of free practice. Honestly, they are just new scenarios. The race scenario is different. It is at least a good experience. The practice sessions with these young engines are not as demanding as a race procedure, laps to the grid. The temperatures fluctuate, so it’s very difficult for everyone.”
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Read everything about the Australian GP here
