Racing Bulls Formula 1 rookie Isack Hadjar has claimed his radio messages portray him as a “really angry guy” despite professing he’s a cool customer in the cockpit of a race car.
The comments come from the new behind-the-scenes documentary on F1TV, ‘Rookies,’ which centres on 2025’s newcomers to the Grand Prix scene.
Hadjar’s introduction in the documentary is juxtaposed with his heartbreaking future race loss at Monaco in last year’s F2 championship, where a Virtual Safety Car handed an opportunistic Zak O’Sullivan victory.
“It was a very tough day in the office,” he said.
“You jump out of the car after a tough session, you’ve got [Red Bull motorsport consultant] Helmut Marko waiting for explanations and everything, because sometimes you didn’t do [anything] wrong but it’s really a tricky situation.
“Plus the fact that you’re disappointed yourself.”
Hadjar’s closing laps in Monaco were littered with angry radio messages, but he feels these misrepresent him.
“Certain drivers say ‘when I put the visor down, I’m a different person, different animal’,” Hadjar said.
“Honestly, I feel really composed when I drive.
“I think a lot. I’m aware of the danger. I wouldn’t say I am different to the guy on the outside
“Maybe I am less aggressive than what people think. But obviously the radio button makes me look like a really angry guy.
“I know I’m passionate, that’s for sure, and angry at times.”
Hadjar thought F1 chance was over after tough period in F2
After finishing 14th in his rookie F2 campaign, Hadjar thought his opportunities as a Red Bull junior and future F1 driver were over, but “I got to be part of Red Bull for another year,” he said.
His Red Bull reprieve came with an ultimatum: “It was the last chance to make it to F1.”
Hajdar added: “They put me at Campos, they decided it, but then when I looked at the season and previous years, I really saw potential in the team.
“[I thought] with a stronger driver, they could maybe deliver some really good races.”
Just one points finish from the first five races wasn’t the start Hadjar was hoping for, but a feature race win at Albert Park, Melbourne Australian catapulted him into a title-charge.
“[2024] started really wrong,” he said.
“I had all the pace in the world, right, but I couldn’t get the results.
“I thought F1 was pretty much over, even though there was like a lot of rounds left, you don’t turn around and things like this,” he said.
“But actually we did from Melbourne and we had mega momentum.”
Hadjar’s title charge came up agonisingly short in the final race of the season at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, where stalling at the line rendered him vice-champion.
Despite that heartbreak, Hadjar did enough to warrant the Racing Bull’s seat vacated by newly promoted Liam Lawson, to complete F1’s quintet of rookies.
READ MORE – Why Isack Hadjar had ‘serious doubts’ about securing Racing Bulls F1 drive
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