After a turbulent FP2 session at the F1 Monaco GP, Isack Hadjar still managed to finish P6, right behind his Racing Bulls teammate, Liam Lawson. The rookie expressed that it was quite a difficult session for him, stating that:
“Yeah, it was really intense for me. Free practice around Monaco is a lot more busy than usual with the traffic. So, I enjoyed it and at the same time it was really hard.”
Two tricky collisions with the barriers
Unfortunately, within the first eight minutes of the session, Hadjar brought out the first red flag that interrupted the session. He clipped the inside barrier through the Nouvelle chicane which caused the left rear tyre to puncture. Luckily, the rookie was able to bring the car back to the pits, where the team were quick to assess the damage, and Hadjar was able to participate in the resumed session. The driver was attempting to find the limits, however in Monaco there is a tiny margin of error when it comes to playing with the limits and ending up in the barriers.
“I had a tricky day, brushing the walls, playing with the limits. FP2 got me scared because at some point I thought that was it. I still managed to bring it back…the car didn’t really want to but I forced it to.”
With only eleven minutes left on the clock, the rookie once again found the barriers. This time the Frenchman clipped the wall at Sainte Devote, but again managed to bring the car back to the pits.
When asked about the mechanics’ impact on the session, Hadjar conveyed the great work they did, stating that: “I’m sorry a bit for them, to add a bit of work. They are really sharp. They did amazing today.”
A strong start for Lawson
On the other hand, his teammate Liam Lawson, had a strong FP2 session with less complications. Finishing just ahead of Isack Hadjar, Lawson ended up P5 in FP2. When asked about if they can be cheerful from today, Lawson expressed that he was optimistic.
“I mean it’s a positive day for sure. It’s one of those tracks, like compared to most tracks, where you’re just building up the whole weekend. So we made a good step from this morning.” the driver stated.
Additionally, the Racing Bulls driver appeared quite comfortable in the car today at the Monaco GP.
“It’s better in an F1 car honestly. I’ve done it obviously in F2 before and although it’s much faster in F1, it’s just much more compliant. It’s obviously a nicer car and it’s really, really fun.”
Both Racing Bull drivers appear to be looking forward to the rest of the weekend and want to focus on having a good qualifying tomorrow. While the Monaco circuit can be tricky, the drivers are prepared to keep taking more steps forward.
