Isack Hadjar revealed he was “pissed off” with his performance in the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, despite helping Red Bull achieve a unique result.
The French rookie finished in 10th place in Baku, having started in eighth place after a frantic qualifying session, which saw Racing Bulls team-mate Liam Lawson line up in third.
Hadjar made a good start, leapfrogging title-chasing Lando Norris for seventh place, but lost that position, and one more, upon the race restarting on Lap 4 after a Safety Car period.
At the end of the lap, Hadjar ran wide, letting Norris back through, as well as Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton would soon follow through, leaving him 10th.
Hadjar has been self-critical in the past, and with his extraordinary results spanning much of the campaign, it is fair to say he expects more from himself.
“It is a shame because I felt good on the Mediums, I overtook Lando on the first lap, and it felt good,” Hadjar explained to media including Motorsport Week after the race.
“I did a repeat of [qualifying] on the kerb, and I lost two places straight away to Charles and to Lando, so it is frustrating and we fell back, but on the hard tyre we were really quick and catching the guys ahead.
“[Without the mistake], there is a probability we would have finished in the same position. I don’t think it changed the race; it is just that it could have changed the race, and I made this mistake.
“That is what pisses me off. In important moments, I can’t allow myself to make mistakes like this.
“I am just mad because I didn’t really take the wind into account [in qualifying at the final corner], I did a repeat in the race, and that pisses me even more.”
Despite the harsh assessment of his own race, Hadjar’s 10th-place finish helped the Red Bull family complete a 100 percent points finish.
With Max Verstappen taking victory, and Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda coming home fifth and sixth, Hadjar ensured that all Red Bull-backed cars finished in the top 10.
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