During the official 2026 F1 US GP driver press conference, Isack Hadjar boldly claimed that his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen, would have won the Singapore GP by a larger margin in a Ferrari, insinuating that the Maranello based outfit was fastest at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, his teammate as well as Scuderia drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, have since responded to the claim.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen scored his second victory of the season at the 2026 F1 Singapore GP, crossing the finish line 7.335 seconds ahead of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who, after a second stop under the VSC, was chasing down Verstappen in the closing stages of the race. While the Monegasque showed great pace in the final stint and reduced the gap to the Dutchman, it was not enough to seriously threaten Verstappen’s victory.
After Red Bull introduced its latest and final upgrade package for the 2026 F1 season at the Azerbaijan GP, the team has taken a huge step in terms of its competitiveness with a double podium in Baku and consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore.
Hadjar: Ferrari faster than Red Bull during 2026 F1 Singapore GP
Despite the recent successes, Isack Hadjar believes that, especially in Singapore, Red Bull was not the fastest car. Instead, Hadjar claims that teammate Verstappen would have won Singapore by “more margin” in a Ferrari.
“Because I think the car is still very hard to drive. In Malaysia, it was dominant, but I don’t think in Singapore it was the fastest car. That’s what I believe.
“I think if you put Max in the Ferrari, he would have won the race with more margin. So that’s my opinion. In Singapore, I think it was the fastest car.”
Further pressed about his bold claim, the French-Algerian explains that qualifying for the 2026 F1 Singapore GP, as well as Ferrari’s tire strategy that saw them heading into the race without a fresh set of softs, was key for Verstappen securing the win on Sunday
“I mean, he qualified on pole by half a tenth. You know, Ferrari didn’t have new tyres in the race. I mean, not on the Soft, so this has an effect as well.
“So, he puts all the chances on his side, and he made the difference in Q3, and that was enough.”
Verstappen criticises media for sparking controversy over Hadjar statement
Confronted with his teammate’s bold claim in a print media session later in the day, Verstappen initially dismissed it, responding, “I don’t know. Fun debate,” before criticizing the media for trying to spark controversy by asking drivers to comment on what a fellow driver has said in interviews.
“I mean, we’re stressing about something that doesn’t matter, right? He said it, but okay, we’ll let him say that, right?
“I mean, you shouldn’t always need to put it forward to the other driver or the other team, like, whatever.
“You’re constantly trying to agitate people with it, instead of just letting it be. That’s what I normally do. I’m like, whatever.
“Life goes on. Always another day.”
Asked whether he believed Ferrari was faster during the 2026 F1 Singapore GP, Verstappen said:
“They were very fast.”
Verstappen and Leclerc dismiss Hadjar’s 2026 F1 Singapore claim as “nonsense”
For the 4-time Red Bull Champion, the debate sparked by Hadjar’s comments is “nonsense,” as it’s “impossible” to judge another team’s car. Unable to judge Ferrari’s performance, Verstappen said he felt comfortable in his car and was satisfied with his pole lap in qualifying for the 2026 F1 Singapore GP, which put him in the best position to win the race the next day.
“It was a good qualifying lap. I’m never going to say that it’s anything special, because it can always be better. But I felt good. I mean, I felt good with my car.
“It’s impossible for me to know or say how good a Ferrari is, because I’ve not driven that car. So, you know, that’s why these debates are just nonsense.”
Another driver who dismissed Hadjar’s claim as “nonsense” was Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who gave a similar response to Verstappen when questioned in the media pen.
“Well, first of all, I think it’s nonsense to start saying these kinds of things. Isack [Hadjar] has no idea what kind of car we drive, and I have no idea what kind of car he drives.”
Hamilton disagrees and praises Red Bull for their work
With Verstappen and Leclerc dismissing Hadjar’s claim as nonsense, Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton was the only driver left to comment on the debate. The 7-time Champion disagreed with the idea that Ferrari was faster than Red Bull at the 2026 F1 Singapore GP and instead praised Red Bull for their admirable work over the years.
“Firstly, I think Isack is an amazing driver. We’re going to have different opinions there.
“Ultimately, they’ve done an amazing job. Red Bull have done an amazing job for many, many years. You’ve seen how they continuously surprise me. I’m full of admiration for them.”
The Briton driver also recalled years ago doubting whether Red Bull would find success in F1 against well-established teams such as Ferrari and McLaren.
“I put my hand up many, many years ago when I was younger and was like, ‘There’s no way they’re going to be able to do what these other teams, like McLaren with all that heritage and Ferrari with all that heritage, can do.’ But they have, and they’ve proved me wrong.”
Having been proven “wrong” by Red Bull before, Hamilton admits he had doubts about whether the team could build a better engine than Mercedes and Ferrari ahead of the 2026 F1 season, only to be proven wrong again.
“They’ve continued to have amazing success over the years. But this one is where the engine… I was like, ‘There’s no way that anyone’s going to build a better engine than what Mercedes, for example, or Ferrari are capable of doing with the resources and experience they have, and the IP.’
“And yet again, they proved us all wrong again. They built the best engine. They’ve had the best engine this year.“
Straight line speed is the deciding factor in Ferrari vs. Red Bull debate
After a difficult start to the 2026 F1 season, Red Bull has clawed back, which, to Hamilton, shows the team’s strength. While he believes Ferrari is on par with Red Bull in cornering speed, the 41-year-old thinks they’re a couple of tenths quicker in a straight line. That is why Hamilton ultimately believes Red Bull was faster than Ferrari at the 2026 F1 Singapore GP.
“Obviously, they had a little bit of a wobbly start. But, like you saw last year, they’ve got an amazing car. They’ve got great drivers. They’ve clearly got great leadership.
“And I think they will be very, very hard to… They’re just as quick through all the corners as us in the last race, and that’s been our strength. So, they’ve matched us now through the corners, and they’re three or four tenths quicker down the straights.”
