With 21 points from the first nine races, Isack Hadjar started his F1 journey on a strong note. Scoring 10 points, neither has his ex-teammate Yuki Tsunoda managed to cross that mark despite promotion to Red Bull, nor has his current teammate Liam Lawson with 12 points. Despite this boast-worthy stat, the French driver seems to have hit a roadblock.
Hadjar is currently on a point-less streak of three races. Among those is the unlucky DNF at the British GP, where Hadjar hit Kimi Antonelli from behind in practically zero-visibility rainy conditions.
Incidentally, the last three races have been a mixed bag for his Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson. While the New Zealander managed to score eight points in Austria with a career-best result, he suffered DNFs in Canada as well as at Silverstone. A ‘cooling issue’ forced Lawson to pull out mid-race in Montreal. At the British GP, a first-lap collision with Esteban Ocon eliminated the Kiwi.
Helmut Marko continues to back Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar
Red Bull and Racing Bulls advisor Helmut Marko does not mind that too much, though. The octogenarian believes both Lawson and Hadjar have shown enough potential for their age to impress him. He also lauded the duo for holding their own as the battle in the midfield rages on. With that, Marko believes Lawson and Hadjar are capable of finishing at the top of the midfield.
“Lawson achieved a solid P6 finish in Austria, then crashed with Ocon in England; Hadjar damaged his floor at the Red Bull Ring and was subsequently eliminated following a rear-end collision with Antonelli,” wrote Marko in his Speedweek column.
“The midfield in today’s Formula 1 is highly competitive, and people sometimes forget that Liam and Isack are the youngest driver duo in the top tier of motorsport. Lawson and Hadjar are capable enough to hold their own, and the team’s performance on any given day depends on their form, including their strategy. If everything is executed perfectly, Isack and Liam can compete at the front of the midfield, and we expect that to continue.”
Arvid Lindblad: an emerging F1 threat for Lawson and Hadjar?
Red Bull kick-started another round of speculations with their appeal to the FIA to grant Arvid Lindblad a super license at 17 years of age. The move, subsequently approved by the ruling body, led to rumors of yet another impending shakeup in the Red Bull-Racing Bulls driver lineup.
The speculations further picked up traction as Lindblad made his FP1 debut at Silverstone. Lindblad, driving Tsunoda’s RB21, ended the session less than half a second off of Max Verstappen. His insights on the car impressed Marko. The Austrian further praised Lindblad for his physicality, which he saw during a 100-lap run of Silverstone after the Grand Prix.
“Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad took part in free practice for Red Bull Racing at Silverstone for the first time. In our view, the young driver performed very well – his speed was impressive, his comments were insightful, and the technicians are very pleased with his performance,” wrote Marko.
“Lindblad was back in the car the week after the Silverstone GP, completing over 100 laps and showing excellent physical fitness and competitive lap times,” he concluded.
After eight rounds, Lindblad holds sixth position with 84 points in the F2 standings. His results include a feature race win in Barcelona.
Red Bull top brass or Marko may not add to the speculations but Arvid Lindblad is certainly knocking on the F1 door. But is that enough to threaten Liam Lawson or Isack Hadjar?
