Latest news with #Hadjar
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Lewis Hamilton's character clear as rival makes admission about F1 relationship
Isack Hadjar has opened up about his relationship with Lewis Hamilton, admitting that he doesn't seek driving advice from the seven-time world champion as he is still a rival Lewis Hamilton has demonstrated his competitive edge, refraining from giving rookie Isack Hadjar any tips despite their budding rapport. The Formula 1 icon, who is experiencing a challenging debut season with Ferrari after his high-profile departure from Mercedes, has yet to secure even a single podium finish in his opening nine races for the Prancing Horse. At the Spanish Grand Prix, where he achieved a respectable seventh-place finish, 20-year-old Racing Bulls up-and-comer Hadjar opened up about his interactions with Hamilton, who is 20 years his senior. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, he said: "It's always nice to race with him, spend time with him. "Sometimes talking to him is great because he's someone I've supported since I was very young. And now being alongside his father great; we get along well. Obviously, there's a big age gap. There's a lot of respect." Despite sharing track time and forming a personal connection with the seven-time world champion, Hadjar also explained that the nature of their competition limits the extent of Hamilton's guidance. He added: "He doesn't give me much advice because we're still rivals. If I need advice, I'll ask, but I don't need help. I don't like asking for help; I prefer to learn on my own," reports the Express. Elsewhere, Hadjar also explained his excitement to share the grid with Fernando Alonso, who is currently driving for Aston Martin following stints with Renault, Alpine, McLaren and Ferrari. He added: "It's weird because he was in F1 when I wasn't even born. "When he was at Ferrari, I was a big fan. It's very strange, but at the same time, I give everything I have against him when I meet him on the track. "I've been against him in Jeddah, I think. It's great to fight people like that, it's amazing." Yet, when it comes to his early influences, the French-Algerian racer said that his style was more shaped by Hamilton than 2005 and 2006 champion Alonso. He added: "Growing up, I was more of a fan of Hamilton's driving style. "His race management on Saturday when he was in Mercedes. I wasn't watching the Grand Prix, I was just putting on Lewis' onboard camera and watching the race. I learned a lot from him." It's been a standout season so far for Hadjar, who was bumped up to Racing Bulls after Liam Lawson joined forces with Max Verstappen at the main Red Bull team. Despite a rocky start at the Australian GP back in March, the young driver has shown considerable potential throughout the season. Hadjar has managed to finish just one spot behind Hamilton in Japan, Monaco and Spain this year and has outperformed Alonso in every race except the Australian GP - an impressive feat given his relative inexperience compared to the seasoned pros. Currently sitting ninth in the F1 standings, fans are keen to see just how far up the ladder Hadjar can climb this season. His next hurdle is the Canadian GP at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve next weekend, as we approach the mid-point of the season.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Red Bull weigh up potential candidates if Max Verstappen faces F1 race ban
MAX VERSTAPPEN is just one point away from a race ban after ramming into George Russell in the Spanish Grand Prix last time out. The Dutchman must be on his Advertisement 6 Verstappen admitted ramming into Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix was "not right" Credit: PA He was slapped with his first two penalty points in the current rolling 12-month period after last year's Austrian Grand Prix on June 30. Verstappen will be teetering on the edge of a ban until after the Mexican Grand Prix on 27 October There has been wide speculation over who will step into the Red Bull hot seat if the Dutchman is suspended, so SunSport gives you everything you need to know on the potential candidates. Advertisement 6 Isack Hadjar has finished in the points in five of the nine races this season Credit: Alamy ISACK HADJAR The French-Algerian 20-year-old has impressed in his rookie campaign for Racing Bulls. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise from being BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Advertisement Since then he has finished in the points in five of the nine races this season and and secured a glittering fifth in qualifying in the Monaco show piece. Most read in Sport The last rookie to achieve that feat was seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. It is early days yet but Hadjar's aggressive driving style has been compared to Verstappen's fierce approach. He also tested the 2024 car and found it "comfortable" rather than tricky like many others who have sat in the Red Bull cockpit. Advertisement When Red Bull boss Christian Horner was asked about Hadjar, he said: "I think he's been the most outstanding rookie. He's exceeded all of our expectations. "He's been fast, consistent, and constantly delivered. His future, if he keeps performing as he is, is very bright." 6 Liam Lawson was axed as Red Bull's No2 driver after just two races this season Credit: Getty LIAM LAWSON The Kiwi 23-year-old isn't completely off the radar despite suffering a woeful TWO-RACE stint as a Red Bull driver at the start of this season. Advertisement He suffered three early exits in all three qualifying sessions, including the sprint, and didn't bag a single point before However, Lawson has experience with this season's car and that could boost his credentials when weighing up the options for a one-off race. Things are looking up for the Racing Bulls driver too with him securing his first points in Monaco. 6 Daniel Ricciardo was bought back into the Red Bull family in 2023 to race for their junior team Credit: EPA Advertisement DANIEL RICCIARDO This is a huge blast from the past but Aussie maestro Ricciardo, 35, is a wild shout to fill in for Verstappen. Afterall, he is an experienced, senior head in the paddock, remains a favourite of Horner and has bags of experience with the team. Ricciardo knows the team inside and out, having spent two seasons with the junior side before enjoying five years as a Red Bull driver. He won seven grands prix racing alongside both Red Bull legends Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen. Advertisement Horner bought him back into the Red Bull family at the end of 2023 with the then-junior team Alpha Tauri before he was dropped for Liam Lawson the following year. 6 Japanese driver Ayumu Iwasa filled in for Verstappen in FP1 in Bahrain this year Credit: Rex AYUMU IWASA The Japanese Super Formula driver has been part of the team's junior drivers' programme since 2021. Marko said at the start of the season: "We have Ayumu Iwasa as our reserve driver' with the 23-year-old an F3 and F2 race winner. Advertisement It is a big shout for him to replace Verstappen for a one-off race though with his more likely destination being a stand in driver for Racing Bulls. He filled in for Verstappen in FP1 at this year's Bahrain Grand Prix, and made his Racing Bulls debut in practise in Suzuka last year. 6 Brit driver Arvid Lindblad has been making waves in Red Bull's junior programme Credit: Getty ARVID LINDBLAD The 17-year-old Brit is a future star of Red Bull, having been with the team for four-years. Advertisement He continues to make waves this season, making his debut in F2 for Camps Racing, as part of Red Bull's junior team. He stood on top of the podium this season for the Saudi Arabian sprint race and in Spain last time out. It would still be a huge step up to be thrust into the Red Bull seat and his age is also a barrier. The FIA announced in 2016 that an F1 driver must be at least 18 unless they are "judged to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition". Advertisement Read more on the Irish Sun Earlier this year Helmut Marko revealed they had applied for an exemption from the FIA's ruling that drivers under the age of 18 are not eligible to receive a super license. They want to promote Lindblad to official reserve driver status so he may be well be on the F1 grid soon.
Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
F1 star involved in altercation with fan moments before Sky Sports interview
Formula 1 rookie Isack Hadjar saw an angry exchange with a fan before recording an impressive result in Monaco to secure his best finish of the season Isack Hadjar was involved in an altercation with a fan over the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. The Racing Bulls driver engaged in a war of words as he left the media pen, following qualification, and was left to angrily stew on the incident. The 20-year-old was making his way towards Sky's F1 television crew to complete a live post-qualification interview with presenter Simon Lazenby and pundits Jenson Button and Naomi Schiff. But the rookie driver could be seen in a stand-off with a fan moments before appearing on air and had followed the individual to the bridge to Red Bull 's hospitality unit. Hadjar appeared on screen with the Sky F1 crew soon after, though appeared to initially be angrily staring off into the distance following the incident. The young driver's conflict is said to have been caused by a misunderstanding with the fan. The driver had been asked for a photograph as he exited the media pen. But a frosty conversation followed as the supporter made a disrespectful comment towards Hadjar. The interaction would not have dampened Hadjar's weekend for long however as the youngster claimed his best result of the Formula 1 season in Monaco. After qualifying in sixth and starting the race a place further up the field after Lewis Hamilton received a penalty for impeding Max Verstappen, Hadjar delivered in the race too. The Racing Bulls star earned a sixth place finish, with only the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton and world champion Max Verstappen beating him around Monte Carlo. That saw Hadjar record his fourth points finish of the season. And the driver paid tribute to team-mate Liam Lawson's efforts in allowing him to flourish in the race. "Qualifying was the most intense day and most hard work I've had to put in since I can remember," Hadjar said. "And the race, it was a bit easier because, I really relied on Liam. Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox! "He followed the strategy, the plan perfectly and he offered me really early pit stops. So that was the target and that was perfectly executed. "I'm really proud because, you go into FP3, you finish P17, you go into quali, confidence is a bit ruined. And I'm proud that we didn't give up and we played it smart, going step by step and disconnected the brain little by little every qualifying lap. "We did a fantastic job. I think the key was just to keep it productive and keep the talking with my engineer to know what was going on [behind me]. "I was aware of Liam's pace, we were keeping an eye on Fernando. We knew what was going on, I was ready to box at any time. It was quite easy and I had fun. "Honestly, I didn't expect a Safety Car because the level of the field is really high so I knew nothing was going to happen. So I was confident the position was secured and I had to go until the end on these tyres which was a bit painful."
Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Two-stop Monaco delivers Lawson rare high in miserable season
MONACO - While Formula One drivers lined up to slam the mandatory two-stop rule after Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, the strategy Racing Bulls executed to take advantage of the experiment delivered Liam Lawson a first real high of an otherwise miserable season. Dumped by the senior Red Bull team after only two rounds, the New Zealander had a best finish of 12th in the five races since his demotion to Racing Bulls going into the glamour round of the championship in Monte Carlo. On Sunday, Lawson initially acted as a shield in the first part of the race to allow teammate Isack Hadjar in front of him to make his two pit stops while suffering minimal damage to his track position. After making his own second stop on the 40th of the 78 laps, Lawson picked up the pace and finished less than three seconds behind sixth-placed Hadjar to deliver his first points of the season in eighth, his best finish in 19 Formula One races. "I'm very, very happy for everyone. It was a good race, very straightforward from our side. I'm very happy," Lawson told reporters. "It's not often you have a plan and you execute it perfectly. We were able to do that today. For our fight in the midfield, it's very important. "From my side, it's great to get some points. We should have started higher from yesterday, but that's on me." Lawson said it had been tricky in the early part of the race to drive slowly enough to hold up traffic and allow Hadjar to build up a lead while making sure not to run the risk of being overtaken. "It's actually really a lot more difficult than I expected from a concentration point of view but it's something that from a team side made sense," he added. Lawson's disappointment with qualifying in ninth place after showing good pace in the practice sessions at Monaco reflected his feeling that he had not quite banished his early season woes. "It's great to score points, but obviously I'm wanting to finish higher," the 23-year-old said. "It's a good step that we made this weekend, but I think we're always looking for more." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
NZ Autocar
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Lawson in the F1 points at last
Liam Lawson earned F1 points for Racing Bulls with a hard fought eighth place in the Monaco Prix. The race winner was Lando Norris. Lawson's four points are the first real ray of sunshine in what has proven to be a trying F1 season. He started the race ninth on the grid while teammate Isack Hadjar started in seventh and ended up sixth. The Kiwi aided Hadjar by driving slowly to create space for his teammate to pit safely and emerge in good position. With 12 points between them, Racing Bulls is now up to seventh in the constructors' championship, overtaking Aston Martin. Lawson was upbeat afterwards. 'It's not often you have a plan and it executes perfectly and today to have done that is that great,' he said of the race. However, he admitted it was difficult to focus on driving tactically for Hadjar, instead of going hard out. He said the team had prioritised Hadjar as the lead driver after qualifying. The result is Lawson's best yet in Formula One racing. He had two ninth placings last year, and finished ninth in Singapore in 2023. McLaren's Lando Norris controlled the race from start to finish. That said, he only resumed the lead on the second-to-last lap. That was when race leader and defending champion Max Verstappen was forced to take his second required pit stop. Delaying it didn't pay dividends, however, as he finished a distant fourth. Charles Leclerc, who hails from Monaco, finished second for Ferrari (+3.131sec), with Oscar Piastri of McLaren (+3.658), the points leader, in third. 'It feels amazing' said Norris afterwards. 'An amazing weekend with pole, with today. This is what we dream of…as a kid.' Norris is now just three points behind Piastri in the driver standings, with Verstappen 25 points back. Norris had Verstappen in front of him and had to fend off Leclerc at the end. Leclerc said afterwards 'At the end of the day, we lost the race yesterday. Lando did a better job and he deserves the win'. I thought we would struggle to be in the top 10 so it has been a good weekend. 'It warms my heart to be at home and have so much support.' It was the second podium finish this season for Leclerc. He was third in Saudi Arabia last month. Piastri said he had a tricky weekend. 'Practice was messy all the way through. A podium in Monaco – it's not all bad. 'The margins are so fine. If this is a bad weekend, then it is not going too badly at all.' Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finished fifth.
