Isack Hadjar caused the first red flag of the Formula 1 Monaco GP weekend. After crashing in the first free practice session, the Red Bull driver admitted he was caught by surprise but hopes to put the accident behind him.
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The Frenchman was on a fast lap when he lost the rear of his RB22, went over the curb, and hit the protective barrier. In doing so, he lost his front wing and one of the wheels, but he was unharmed and got out of the car by himself.
The team managed to fix the car for him to return for FP2, and at the end of the day, Hadjar admitted the crash was a surprise, especially where it happened. “I was doing very well,” he said.
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“Actually, I think I was doing good laps and gaining confidence, and it was when I gained that confidence that that moment happened. It really caught me by surprise – I didn’t expect to lose control there. Also, it’s not an accident you see often here, losing the rear like that, so I was surprised. It was definitely tough,” he said.
“I tried to regain confidence [in FP2]. I didn’t take any risks and, lap after lap, I explored a bit more. It took me a while to get there and there’s still a lot to improve, but I definitely felt good in the end, so let’s see what we can prepare for tomorrow,” he added.
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