Isack Hadjar battled well in the F1 Azerbaijan GP, but mistakes on restarts and kerbs cost him places and left him with mixed feelings after finishing 10th for Racing Bulls.
Strong early pace, kerb costs places
Hadjar felt confident at the start. “I felt good on the medium on the very first lap I overtook Lando.”
But he repeated the error he made previously on a kerb. “I did a repeat of yesterday on that kerb and I lost two places straight away to Charles and Lando.” He added, “It was frustrating and then we fell back, but on the hard we were really quick and catching the guys ahead.”
Race clean, but position didn’t shift much
Hadjar confirmed the team sorted an earlier hydraulic issue before the race began. “They fixed it and I was fine.” He didn’t suffer issues during the race, “Not during the race, no.”
When asked whether avoiding his off-track moment would’ve changed the result, he acknowledged uncertainty, “There’s a probability we would have finished at the same position. I don’t think it would have changed the race. It’s just that it could have changed the race and I did this mistake.
“That’s what p***es me off. In important moments, I can’t allow myself to make mistakes like this.”
Assessing rivals and podium chances
Hadjar acknowledged that even without the error, a podium was unlikely. “I think Liam did a perfect race and he only finished fifth from third, so I don’t think it would have been possible. Williams are faster, Mercedes are faster.”
Looking ahead, he said the team expects competitiveness at different track. “I think we expect to be strong everywhere.”
However, when the Racing Bulls driver was asked if the car was easy to drive, he pushed back on that perception. “It’s an F1 car. I don’t think it’s easy to drive. Maybe it’s easier than some other cars, but I don’t think that’s true. Looking at the Williams, I’d like to try a Williams, for example. I think it’s a very good car as well. So, yeah, that’s it.”
Fighting Ferrari and McLaren shows progress
Despite the setback, Hadjar highlighted positives for the team fighting with top drivers, “It was a good fight on track today. It was a good experience.”
Asked whether the weekend proved Williams’ position in the midfield, he gave a nuanced answer, “With more high-speed corners, we have the edge on them. With more straight-line speed and slow-speed stuff, they are faster. That’s been the trend the whole weekend, so it really depends on the track we’re going to.”
With his P10 finish in Baku, Isack Hadjar now sits 9th in the 2025 Drivers’ Championship with 39 points after the F1 Azerbaijan GP, just ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, who has 37. Racing Bulls climb in the Constructors’ standings as well, buoyed by Hadjar’s point and strong performances from his teammate.
