After a dominant victory from Max Verstappen, team-mate Isack Hadjar has made a bold claim about Ferrari’s place in Formula 1’s competitive order.
It was the tale of two weekends in Singapore for Red Bull. Verstappen sailed to victory, dominating the rest of the field to secure back-to-back wins. A feat that seemed impossible earlier this season.
But for Hadjar, it was a disastrous time. Despite a brilliant drive through the field to tenth on Sunday’s Grand Prix, a DNF in the sprint and a pit-lane start for the race itself marked a difficult weekend for the Frenchman.
Hadjar, evidently frustrated with the weekend, admitted after qualifying, “I could have stayed back in Paris; it would have been the same.”
His comments raised questions about the RB21’s performance, especially since his team-mate seemed to have no trouble controlling the race.
However, Hadjar believes Red Bull’s pace was not enough to make it the fastest car on the grid, suggesting Ferrari had the upper hand in Singapore.
“Because I think the car is still very hard to drive. In Malaysia, it was dominant, but I don’t think it was the fastest car in Singapore. That’s what I believe,” Hadjar explained to media, including Motorsport Week.
“I think if you put Max in the Ferrari, he would have won the race with more margin. So that’s my opinion.”
When asked if he believed Ferrari was at the top of the pecking order heading into the United States Grand Prix, Hadjar doubled down on his claims.
“In Singapore, I think it was the fastest car.”
As teams prepare for the first of yet another triple-header, time will tell whether Red Bull and Verstappen can continue their dominant form stateside.
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