01/09/2025 16:40
Isack Hadjar recalled the horror he felt following his crash on the
formation lap ahead of his F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix,
where he thought his "life was over." The Racing Bulls rookie
embarrassingly crashed before the season opener had even started,
resulting in a wave of emotions that failed to impress Red Bull
motorsport advisor Helmut Marko. However, since that unfortunate
moment, the young French-Algerian has delivered several strong
results for Red Bull's sister team — including a shock maiden
podium at the Dutch Grand Prix. Despite missing significant running
during free practice, Hadjar qualified an impressive fourth at
Zandvoort. As the race got underway, he looked comfortable running
near the front, defending his position with ease against the likes
of George Russell and Charles Leclerc. He also remained within a
couple of seconds of Max Verstappen before inheriting third place
after Lando Norris retired in the closing laps. For the
20-year-old, a podium finish seemed unlikely so early in the season
— particularly after what had happened in Australia earlier this
year. "After what happened in Australia, in the car, obviously, I
thought my life was over, but then you realise it can happen and
you bounce back very quickly from that," said Hadjar. "Then to
have a podium without too much miracles and not much going on
ahead—no, I didn't expect it, especially that fast in the season.
"Already finishing fourth on pure pace would have been a mighty
result. But finishing third, I'm just over the moon." Getting to
where he is today has been no easy feat for Hadjar, who joined the
Red Bull family four years ago whilst competing in the Formula
Regional European Championship (FRECA). Asked who helped make his
career possible, Hadjar replied: "There's more than one person,
obviously. First of all, my parents, my mum and my dad. And more
sporting wise, Helmut who gave me this shot. "I remember four
years ago he signed me back in FRECA it was and he gave me a path,
a trajectory, and I'm actually following it pretty well right now."
