Hadjar ‘courier’ for Verstappen: “Slipstream? He chose where he wanted it, I delivered it. It was like Deliveroo”

Successful Team Play

One of the most curious and interesting moments of the Belgian GP qualifying came in Q3, when Isack Hadjar – who already knew he would have to start from the back due to a power unit change – put himself at Max Verstappen’s complete disposal to try to help him get the best possible starting position. The Frenchman twice provided a slipstream to his teammate, the first with decent results, the second with an excellent outcome. Verstappen in fact achieved the second best time, gaining at least four grid positions by his own admission: “Without the slipstream I might have started sixth“, admitted the four-time world champion to the TV cameras after qualifying.

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The peculiarity, however, was the point on the track where Red Bull decided to carry out this team play: while everyone expected Hadjar to give Verstappen the slipstream in the first sector of the track, the ‘tow’ happened in the last sector, from the exit of Stavelot to the chicane before the finish line. The strategy worked so well that on Verstappen’s last timed lap there was concern that #3 had gotten so close to the twin car that a collision was at risk.

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The ‘courier’ Hadjar

On TV, at the end of the day, Hadjar explained how the idea of the area to perform the maneuver was born, revealing that it was all planned by Verstappen: “It was Max who decided to do it at the end of the lap – Hadjar explained to journalists present at Spa – it’s not complicated in itself, it’s just about accelerating to the maximum and then moving as late as possible before the chicane”. Then, speaking with the Dutch TV Viaplay, the young French driver joked saying he behaved like a real ‘courier’ for Verstappen. “In short, he decided where he wanted it ‘delivered’ and I delivered it to him. It’s like Deliveroo, it was the same thing“, joked Hadjar.

The episode was also analyzed in the press conference by Verstappen, who somewhat ‘demystified’ the work done by #6: “Hadjar is smart and then we are F1 drivers, we should be able to help in this way when needed and Isack did it”, Max explained.

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