As the F1 paddock arrives in Spielberg for the Austrian GP, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar has his sights firmly set on redemption after what he described as a “very hard” weekend in Montreal. The 20-year-old Frenchman, currently in his rookie season, spoke candidly to the media ahead of Round 11 of the 2025 campaign, addressing the team’s recent difficulties and outlining his hopes for the Red Bull Ring — a circuit he knows well from his junior career.
Reflecting on Canada, Hadjar was frank in his assessment of Racing Bulls’ struggles at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Despite managing to reach Q3 on Saturday, the underlying issues were significant, particularly when it came to race pace and tyre wear.
“I mean, on one-lap pace, it seems like it was very hard to drive for us,” he said. “Our ride was quite terrible, but somehow we managed to be in Q3,” Hadjar explained. “But you can do those things on one lap; over 70 laps it’s much harder to be on the very maximum of what the car can do.”
“And we are suffering a lot more compared to the other teams in terms of tyre degradation, especially on the Medium, with the graining.”
While the French driver was quick to acknowledge the fine margins in F1’s ever-tight midfield, he admitted that Racing Bulls were simply on the “wrong end” of the performance delta in Montreal.
“It was just that we were on the wrong end of it, which usually we’re on the opposite side. So, we’ll try to turn this around.”
Consistency for Racing Bulls
When asked about the general behaviour of the car across the season, Hadjar was confident in the team’s broader trajectory, ahead of the F1 Austrian GP. He dismissed the idea that the RB01 chassis was inconsistent, instead pointing to the uniqueness of the Canadian circuit.
“It’s been probably the most consistent car, performance-wise. We never had bad surprises,” he said. “It’s just you don’t design your car around Montreal, that’s for sure. It’s a very specific one. And I think going back to a more traditional track, the European rounds, we’re going to be much more competitive just like we were in Barcelona.”
With the championship now returning to the fast-flowing and high-altitude Red Bull Ring, Hadjar sees an opportunity to bounce back. The Austrian circuit is one he knows well, having previously secured a podium there in Formula 2 — and with qualifying having been a particular strength this year, he believes Saturday’s performance could again be crucial.
“It’s going to be the target,” he said. “If the car is able to go to Q3, then I’ll go to the maximum I can, to top the midfield. But again, it’s a track I really enjoy. I’ve been competitive in the past.”
Comparing from experience in the junior series
Hadjar also touched on the striking difference between tackling familiar circuits in junior categories versus Formula 1 machinery.
“Every time you go in an F1 car on a track you’ve been in the past with Formula 2 or Formula 3, it becomes a different track, to be honest.”
“It’s so much faster, obviously. But yeah, I enjoy this. Sector 1 is more like pure braking efficiency and very slow speed, and then you go into very high speed. So, the track is kind of split in two, which I really like.”
Another major topic heading into the weekend was the publication of updated stewarding guidelines — a move prompted by ongoing controversy around racecraft and consistency in decision-making. When asked whether the new guidelines provided clarity, Hadjar was succinct.
“Yeah, clear,” he stated.
However, on the broader issue of whether over-regulation was affecting drivers’ instincts and the natural flow of racing, Hadjar offered a more nuanced view.
“Yeah. I mean, all the fights I had this year, they’ve been clean and I enjoyed them,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I was reading a book when fighting them, so, following guidelines. It was really, really natural. At the moment it’s going well.”
Targets for the future
The final question touched on Hadjar’s long-term ambitions. Flanked by Red Bull Racing’s past and present in the press conference, the inevitable question was posed: does he see himself as Red Bull’s future?
“I mean, when I got signed by Red Bull four years ago, that was definitely the target – to end up in the big team,” he admitted. “I’m still on my way. At the moment I’m happy where I am, learning a lot. And yeah, that would be the natural progression – no need to hide it.”
