Author of a convincing first half of the season, Isack Hadjar believes he has taken a step forward at Red Bull. The Frenchman is now aiming for his first real podium in Formula 1.
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Isack Hadjar can approach the second half of the season with confidence. Promoted to Red Bull this year, the Frenchman quickly established himself as a solid teammate to Max Verstappen, to the point of being regularly praised for his performances against the four-time world champion.
Although Red Bull is going through a more complicated campaign than in previous seasons, Hadjar believes he has found more consistency and now sets a new goal: to get on the podium.
Challenging beginnings before finding the right formula
The French driver admits that the first races were not easy.
“The start of the season was a bit complicated.”
Hadjar explains that he was making mistakes on aspects that were actually basic, even though his pure pace was already there.
“During the first races, I was doing the simplest things wrong, while I was performing well on the more difficult aspects, like finding the rhythm or staying close to Max.”
According to him, the last few weeks marked a real turning point.
“For the past few Grands Prix, I have gained consistency and, with the team, we have fixed several problems that make life easier for us.”
A finally more reliable Red Bull
The Frenchman also highlights the progress made by Red Bull on the reliability and overall functioning of the RB22.
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According to him, having a more consistent car completely changes the game.
“It’s much easier when the car is reliable. When it works as expected, it is obviously easier to get good results.”
These improvements have allowed Hadjar to establish himself firmly among the most competitive midfield drivers and to reduce the gap with Verstappen.
The podium, the next challenge
Even though he crossed the finish line on the podium in Monaco before an Alpine protest ultimately allowed Pierre Gasly to reclaim third place, Hadjar does not yet consider himself to have achieved a true top 3.
That is precisely what he hopes to accomplish in the coming months.
“It’s positive, but I would really like to experience a race where I can fight for a real podium. That is my next goal.”
While Red Bull hopes to continue the progress seen before the summer break, the Frenchman now aims to turn his strong performances into a trophy. Given his rise since the start of the season, this first podium seems closer than ever.
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