Red Bull F1‘s Isack Hadjar is ready to move on after he missed out on a podium chance in Malaysia, and he is ready to tackle on the challenge of the 2026 Singapore GP. The Frenchman is positive and confident in the engine provided by his team, albeit stung by the technical issues encountered in the later stages of his latest race.
Late heartbreak in Malaysia…
In the late stages of the previous round, in fact, Hadjar’s RB22 experienced battery issues at the late restart following Albon’s DNF. The lack of power allowed Scuderia Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to overtake him, depriving him of what could have potentially been his second podium in a row upon his return to racing following his accident.
In addition to that, Hadjar’s podium could have also marked an even more joyful day for his team, as the Milton Keynes-based bagged their first win of 2026 with Max Verstappen.
Hadjar admitted that Red Bull is still looking into the issue which marred his Malaysian outing in order to avoid a rerun of those final laps, while also underlining the importance of looking ahead to the next challenge, the Singapore GP.
“Yeah, it’s ongoing, but it’s a bit disappointing. But it is the ongoing stuff, even though now, it’s important to move on and focus on Singapore. Even once it’s done, we need to make sure these things don’t happen again.”
…but much to anticipate at the 2026 F1 Singapore GP for Hadjar and Red Bull
Asked on whether he believes his RB22 will be strong at Marina Bay, despite the historical issues encountered by the team in past races at the track due to their struggles over bumps and kerbs, the 2024 Formula 2 runner-up was positive.
His results since his recovery from the training incident which had left him out of action for three races is also a testament to the high levels of speed and adaptability across various circuits the RB22 is displaying as of late.
“It’s a good question, I would say. If I’m following my understanding from the car for the season, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be confident on a track like that. Especially if you look at the last two rounds, it’s two very different tracks, but at the same time, they have nothing in common. Yet, the car was delivering on both occasions. So, why not here? I guess we’ll find out tomorrow, just like me. I’m hoping for the best.”
In particular, Hadjar recalled seeing Verstappen being able to really attack the Turn 5 chicane with big kerbs at the Madrid circuit last month.
Nonetheless, he is aware that attacking kerbs cannot be fully resolved until next year at the earliest.
“Even though I was out of the car in Madrid, it seemed like Max was pretty good in Sector 1, with a huge chicane. He managed to cut across that, but it’s still something we want to improve. I feel like at times I have ride limitations, even though we’re not talking about the kerb strike. It can be just the track that is a bit bumpy, and it’s upsetting the car. So, there’s definitely a few things we can improve.”
Confidence in his Red Bull engine and package
Hadjar also expressed his satisfaction and his surprise at how well developed the Red Bull Powertrain has become throughout the season. While the team had been hard at work behind the scenes to prepare for the 2026 F1 season and its new regulations, it was the first ever power unit fully developed by the factory.
The Frenchman is even more impressed as he recalls his first experience behind the wheel of the challenger during pre-season testing, detailing the not great feelings after that run.
“Honestly, I remember the first lap I did with the engine in Barcelona, I was like, ‘wow, this is going to be a long season,’ and it quickly recovered after that. Even I don’t really realise how impressive that is.
“Basically they started the project after I joined the junior team, and I remember I was going to Red Bull, there was literally just Red Bull Racing.Then, within six months there was two massive buildings built, and it started from there.
“So yeah, I’m just very happy for all the boys and girls back at home. Even if something is a bit frustrating, you know, we’re not talking about the chassis, it’s really like the engine is something I can’t have much impact on as a driver, like in terms of development and everything, nowhere near as much as I can do on the car. I depend on the team, and luckily my team is talented. So yeah, I’m very happy.”
