Isack Hadjar stated that he left satisfied with his first weekend for Red Bull, despite the retirement in the Formula 1 Australian GP due to a mechanical problem. The Frenchman highlighted the third place achieved in qualifying in Melbourne and the promising start alongside four-time champion Max Verstappen.
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“I’m still happy,” Hadjar told the press in China, the venue for this weekend’s round. “I still consider that we are not as fast as McLaren or Ferrari. We could see that on Sunday, but we have enough to fight for good positions. I only take the positives. Third place in qualifying was a very good start for me. So far, before the season continues, I am happy with our starting point.”
Hadjar also revealed that he received positive feedback from the team and spoke with former Red Bull advisor, Helmut Marko. When asked if Marko was impressed with his debut, he replied laughing: “He is never impressed.”
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Even so, Marko praised the driver in an interview with Krone Zeitung: “His qualifying lap was excellent, but unfortunately he suffered a technical problem during the race. His goal has to be: he is not in the team to beat Max, but to learn. But he is probably the one who – excluding Pérez’s peak – is closest to Verstappen.”
After the debut, Hadjar returned to the cockpit in China and qualified in 10th place for the sprint race, which takes place at 00:00 this Saturday (14).
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