Isack Hadjar did not hide his frustration after qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, pointing to the lack of performance of his Red Bull and his team’s choices.
Read more Lando Norris attributes his pole to McLaren’s developments, but remains wary before the race
Isack Hadjar delivered a frank analysis after qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Despite an eighth-place start, the Frenchman believes Red Bull missed out on its Saturday.
The driver primarily regrets the lack of competitiveness shown throughout the weekend.
“The pace has been rotten since yesterday, we haven’t really progressed, and it’s annoying me.”
Hadjar nevertheless expected to perform better at the Hungaroring, a circuit he thought would be favorable to his car’s characteristics.
A fiercely criticized qualifying strategy
The Frenchman also criticized the management of his last attempt in Q3, believing his team had not optimized his pit exit.
According to him, he had set his best time on used tires, before seeing his last attempt compromised.
“I set my best time on used tires, and for the new tire attempt, I don’t know what they’re doing in the pits. We’re at the back of the queue.”
Hadjar explains that he was initially well-placed at the garage exit, but several competitors eventually cut in front of him.
“I leave the garage among the first, and instead of following Max, five cars pass in front of me.”
Read more Lewis Hamilton heavily penalized in Hungary: he loses his second place on the grid
“I had no temperature in the tires”
This poor management of the out-lap, according to Hadjar, had direct consequences on his performance.
The driver believes he was never able to properly get his tires up to temperature before his ultimate fast lap.
“The out-lap is rotten, I have no temperature. There you go… It’s annoying me, we’re doing badly the things we’re supposed to control.”
Despite everything, the Frenchman intends to be aggressive during the race.
“We’re going to try to attack. Eighth, we can do it easily, but we don’t care about finishing eighth, so it’s a shame.”
A weekend well below expectations
Speaking to F1 TV, Hadjar admitted that this result was particularly frustrating given the team’s expectations before the weekend.
“I thought this would be a circuit where we would be competitive, and it’s ultimately probably the worst.”
The Frenchman also reminds that at this stage of the season, the margins for improvement are becoming increasingly limited.
“It’s difficult, because we are mid-season and it’s complicated to make big progress at that point.”
Red Bull will therefore have to quickly find solutions if the team wants to allow Hadjar to return to the forefront during the second half of the championship.
Read more Max Verstappen vents his frustration: «The car is totally unmanageable, I’m just fed up!»