Isack Hadjar will start the 2026 F1 Barcelona-Catalunya GP in P6 after another strong qualifying performance this year. At the end of Q3, he was a mere 0.056s slower than teammate Max Verstappen.
Having sat out FP1 for Ayumu Iwasa, the French driver looked solid in the second and third sessions, although he complained of chronic understeer at one stage.
In qualifying itself, he was close to Max Verstappen on most runs. Only in Q2 when the gap was 0.270s did things get a bit hairy. He ended up P9 but was helped by Lindblad having a deployment issue. Nico Hülkenberg also finished up just 0.014s slower as Red Bull did only one run earlier in the session.
In the end, he was 0.079s away from Kimi Antonelli as he found almost 0.7s in the final segment of qualifying. On a positive note, he beat Oscar Piastri to the third row by 0.013s.
Isack Hadjar left to rue close margins in 2026 F1 Barcelona-Catalunya GP qualifying
Speaking in the print media pen post-qualifying, Isack Hadjar admitted the close gaps that could have seen him gain three spots was depressing.
“Yeah, I mean, I think everything was good.
“I think it was a very good lap, except for my Turn 1. I looked back at the gaps with P3 and it’s quite depressing. I could have been up there, but if if if, it doesn’t work like that.”
Asked to expand on what happened in the first corner, the 2025 Dutch GP podium finisher admitted he went too aggressive on braking and got it wrong. His best first sector was 0.114s slower than his teammate.
“The most important quali lap, I sent it and did that too hard. I was away from the apex, compromised in Turns 2 and 3, so quite a poor Sector 1.
“From there, the rest was very good, no regrets. But it’s a shame.”
Surprised with the gap to pole
Heading into the qualifying hour, Red Bulls looked to be anywhere between 0.6s-1.0s off Mercedes and George Russell. However, by the end of Q3 that gap was down to 0.3s between the top 6, including the two RB22 cars.
Much like teammate Max Verstappen, the reduction of the deficit surprised Hadjar considering how tough the car was to drive in the 2026 F1 Barcelona-Catalunya GP qualifying.
“On top of being a tough track for that [tyre deg], it’s also tough track temperatures. It makes everything exaggerated.
“I must say, we did good progress through the weekend. But, to be honest, I still feel like we don’t deserve to be on P6 with what we have.
“I’m surprised by the gap at the pole position. It’s not that big.
“Considering the feeling I have in the car, there’s a lot of work to be done still.”
A race full of pit stops and tyre degradation
As drivers come up the ranks, one of the most important skills they learn is to manage tyres. Doing a good job of it in Formula 2 and Formula 3 is absolutely vital if you want to launch a title bid.
However, the tyres generally tend to be harder in F1, leading to less stops. Around the Circuit de Catalunya, though, long and high speed corners make it a massive challenge for the Pirellis, with plenty of sliding and overheating.
Barring a surprise, at least two stops will be made tomorrow. Isack Hadjar is hopeful to see that come to pass in the 2026 F1 Barcelona-Catalunya GP.
“I think it’s going to be a very tough race, but I’m looking forward to it, because I don’t think I’ve ever done a race with that many pit stops.
“Hopefully we’re talking about two or three stops, so that would be good fun. Flat out and making sure the guys are sharp for those pit stops.”
“I think in Formula 1, especially last year, it was hard to show that skill, because most of the race was flat out.
“But from my F4, F3, F2 experience, it’s pretty good. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow.”
