Hadjar not far from Verstappen
Isack Hadjar has shown impressive growth in his first year and a half in F1, not straying too far from the performance of Max Verstappen. The comparison with the Dutch driver is a mountain for everyone, let alone for a young rookie, but the Frenchman has demonstrated speed, personality, and adaptability.
Making a good impression close to Verstappen does not mean beating him in a single lap or finishing ahead of him in the race, but mainly lies in the ability not to lose too much ground compared to a champion who sets the highest standard in F1. The numbers are on the Frenchman’s side, who has about two-thirds of his teammate’s points (68 versus 109), while in qualifying he has an average gap of 240 thousandths, and he has had the satisfaction three times of starting ahead of the four-time world champion.
Hadjar’s words
Qualifying is precisely the aspect that has most satisfied Hadjar in this first half of the championship. But the Frenchman believes that Verstappen, in the race, is still on another level: “Max was really impressive on Sunday, in every respect. The way he manages races is on another level. That is what I am focusing on now. In Hungary, we all thought we would do better, but we couldn’t set up a balanced and drivable car for me. It is reassuring that Max also gave this feedback, otherwise I would really be asking myself questions“.
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“To be honest, this year I am not surprised by myself. I have simply driven at a high level, definitely better than last year, and I am doing well in qualifying“, he added. “However, it is normal, because it is my second season. I don’t have much experience yet, but I am improving a bit‘”.
Hadjar’s performances deserve attention and have naturally been noticed by Red Bull. The team principal Laurent Mekies, in fact, has already anticipated his contract renewal, putting an end to an era in which the team systematically crushed Verstappen’s teammates, not giving them time to grow.
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