Isack Hadjar admitted his second Formula 1 podium came after one of the most demanding races of his F1 career, as the Red Bull driver had to manage drivability problems, a lack of power and a difficult final restart at the 2026 Monaco GP.
The Frenchman finished third behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton in Monte Carlo after a chaotic race shaped by Safety Cars, a late red flag and multiple penalties. Hadjar crossed the line outside the podium places after losing ground at the final standing restart, but penalties for George Russell and Pierre Gasly moved him back into third.
His result remained under review after the race, with the FIA looking into work carried out on his Red Bull during the red flag. However, the stewards later took no further action, confirming Hadjar’s second F1 podium.
For Hadjar, the result was significant not only because of the final classification, but because of the way he had to fight through the weekend. After lacking confidence in practice and then dealing with technical problems for much of the race, he had to rely on track position, patience and late-race execution to secure the podium.
Hadjar details early 2026 F1 Monaco GP struggles
Hadjar’s race initially began in a controlled manner. The Frenchman made a clean start and settled into the opening phase of the Grand Prix, looking to manage his P4 position while the race unfolded around him.
However, the situation changed within the first stint. Hadjar began to experience drivability problems early in the race, turning his afternoon into a much more difficult challenge than the result sheet suggested.
Around Monaco, that type of issue can be especially costly. The circuit gives drivers little room to compensate for instability, hesitation or a lack of confidence, with the barriers punishing even small mistakes. For Hadjar, the problem arrived at one of the worst possible venues.
“Yeah, I mean, we got off to a clean start and were managing the race, and then within the first 10, 15 laps I started having massive drivability issues. And around here… If there’s one track you don’t want that, it’s here. So yeah, it was incredibly challenging, having to cover 60 laps like that. And even towards the end, I was still lacking power on the restart.”
Final restart forces Hadjar into recovery mode
The late red flag at the 2026 F1 Monaco GP created another major challenge for Hadjar. After already spending much of the race managing technical problems, the Red Bull driver then had to reset for a standing restart in the closing stages.
Although he initially felt he launched well, the car lost momentum and he dropped behind Russell and Gasly. That put him outside the podium places on the road, but the situation remained open because both drivers ahead were carrying penalties.
Hadjar therefore had to manage the final laps with a clear target. Rather than making a desperate move, he needed to stay close enough to Gasly to regain the podium once the penalties were applied. With limited power, that meant pushing heavily through the corners to keep the gap within range, and holding Oscar Piastri off.
“Yeah, I mean, honestly on my restart I felt like I had a good start and then suddenly I had a hole and I lost two places. But I knew the cars ahead had penalties, but I had limited power and I never had to send it that much in my life through the corners to stay within five seconds of Pierre. But yeah, it’s an outstanding weekend considering how it started in FP1, I had no confidence to get back up, but we did it. So yeah, I’m happy.”
Difficult Friday makes 2026 F1 Monaco GP result more rewarding for Hadjar
Hadjar’s Monaco podium carried extra weight because of how his weekend started. Monaco usually rewards drivers who build confidence lap by lap, but he felt he lost that feeling during Friday practice. A crash in FP1 put him on the back foot.
After struggling with the car and lacking confidence in FP2, he had to rebuild his weekend quickly. His step forward in FP3 and qualifying proved crucial, as track position remained vital in a race where overtaking was still extremely difficult despite the chaos.
That recovery made the result more satisfying for Hadjar. At one stage, he felt the weekend could end without points, but he managed to turn it into one of the strongest results of his Formula 1 career.
“I mean, for many reasons it’s a satisfying result because obviously I started the weekend in the worst way possible. It’s a track you want to build confidence throughout every lap. You want to be on track and I felt like I didn’t really have a Friday. If anything, I lost all my confidence in FP2 because I just didn’t have any feeling with my car. And in FP3, I made a step and by pushing through and being competitive, I gave myself an opportunity for today’s race and it paid off. But yeah, I wish it was going to be an easier race, but I faced so many issues in the car that I really thought it was going to be a weekend outside the points at some point.”
Hadjar explains Red Bull’s drivability issues
Hadjar later gave more detail on the issues he managed during the race, explaining that the problems began from around Lap 12 and made the Red Bull difficult to drive in Monaco’s low-speed sections.
With the lower gears playing such an important role around the tight street circuit, Hadjar could not simply drive around the issue. The problem also continued into the final restart, where he still lacked power.
“I think very early, from I would say Lap 12, something like that, I started having driveability issues and it was just undriveable. In Monaco, especially here, it’s not like you can allow yourself to skip using first gear, second gear, and this is where the problem was. It was very hard to drive. I was down on power at some point. Also on the final restart, on that start, still need to figure out our problems, but I kept pushing and we’re here. I’m happy.”
Hadjar also said Red Bull has made progress since Miami, with Canada showing the team could fight Ferrari more regularly.
“I mean, since Miami clearly we did. Canada, we were also very much competitive. We gave a good fight to the Ferraris. Yeah, I think we’re on par with these guys. Today not really, but clearly I’m looking forward to the rest and bringing the fights to these guys. That’s our target.”
Hadjar compares Monaco podium to Zandvoort
Hadjar’s Monaco result marked his second Formula 1 podium, following his breakthrough top-three finish at Zandvoort. However, he sees the two achievements very differently.
At Zandvoort, Hadjar felt the podium came from a more complete on-track performance. He qualified strongly with VCARB, put himself in position and then delivered a clean race. Although he acknowledged that circumstances helped him, he still viewed it as a race he executed well.
Monaco required a different type of performance. Hadjar had to recover mentally after losing confidence earlier in the weekend, then manage technical problems during the race and stay close enough in the final laps to inherit the podium.
For Hadjar, both results carry meaning. However, he still views his first podium as the most special, even though Monaco showed how much he could overcome in difficult circumstances.
“Yeah, I think my podium in Zandvoort is definitely just completely different. It was done on track. I had to really fight for it with the VCARB to qualify fourth and then be in that position. Obviously, I got lucky with what happened with Lando, I remember, but still I did a perfect race.
“And this weekend I faced a completely different scenario with my confidence being down in the car. It’s a track you need all the confidence in the world to deliver and I managed to, yesterday, dig very deep and kind of switch off and go for it. And that’s what allowed me to be starting in that position and ending up where I am. So I think they are both special, but the first one is always the best.”
