(Motorsport-Total.com) – Dear Readers,
the 21-year-old Frenchman secured his second Formula 1 podium in Monaco and the first for his new team. Has Red Bull finally solved its problem with the second driver?
Read more Who slept worst last night: Charles Leclerc
The last podium for Red Bull not achieved by Max Verstappen dated from April 21, 2024, when Sergio Perez finished third in Shanghai.
It was the Mexican’s fourth podium in the first five races of that season and gave the impression that the Milton Keynes team had finally found the desired consistency on the second car side. However, his performances quickly declined and completely collapsed towards the end of the year.
The problem on the second car side
Liam Lawson took over the cockpit, but had to vacate it again after just two races of the following season for Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver also failed to meet expectations. The requirements were manageable: regularly collect points, avoid mistakes, and support the team.
After numerous driver changes, the second position alongside Verstappen seemed almost cursed. Hardly any driver could permanently cope with the car tailored to the world champion.
In Monaco, Isack Hadjar has now provided the most convincing argument so far that this impression could, at least for now, be a thing of the past.
Why Hadjar has been convincing so far
What is remarkable about Hadjar’s season is that he is doing exactly what one would expect from a talented young driver in his first year with a top team. He makes mistakes, but also shows the ability to recover from them.
An example of this was his crash in the first free practice session in Monaco. For some drivers, this would have been the start of a difficult weekend. However, Hadjar quickly recovered.
“I think I missed more than half a session,” he said after qualifying. “In the second practice, the car was repaired, and my confidence had to be rebuilt. It was just a terrible day. But I made the most of the third practice this morning, and honestly, qualifying was damage limitation.”
Self-criticism instead of excuses
A fifth starting position would have been a decent result even without Friday’s setback. Nevertheless, Hadjar stuck to his line and avoided any form of complacency.
Read more Formula 1 Live Ticker: Russell not writing off championship title yet
This distinguishes him from some of his predecessors. Instead of looking for explanations or excuses, he is usually very critical of himself. After bad days, he openly talks about his own mistakes; after good days, he avoids grand words.
In the race, Hadjar also benefited from problems faced by his competitors, but his podium was by no means solely the result of favorable circumstances.
Praise from Team Principal Mekies
“He had a big setback in the first practice when he damaged the car,” explains Laurent Mekies after the race. “The team did a fantastic job to get the car back in working order and allow him some time in the second practice.”
Mekies was particularly impressed by his driver’s reaction: “Honestly, he paid us back by refocusing and regaining his confidence. Not immediately in the second practice, but throughout the third practice and finally with a very strong qualifying performance.”
Difficulties to the finish line
The race also did not go without difficulties. “We had several problems with the car relatively early in the race,” reports Mekies. “We had significantly less engine power, which affected energy management and other areas. The problems became even greater after his excursion through the chicane’s run-off area. Nevertheless, he managed to save himself to third place.”
Hadjar himself subsequently revealed that the difficulties were greater than apparent from the outside. “I had more problems to contend with during the race than people think.”
Nevertheless, he safely brought home third place and secured his team’s first podium on that side of the garage in over two years.
More than just a podium?
Whether Hadjar has truly found the long-term solution for Red Bull’s second cockpit remains to be seen. However, his performance in Monaco showed that he can overcome setbacks, manage technical problems, and deliver under pressure. These are precisely the qualities that have often been missing in this position recently.
Read more Williams blockade and time penalty: Hülkenberg without points in Monaco
Yours,
Oleg Karpow