Isack Hadjar: “I have progressed in managing my emotions”

What is your assessment of your start to the season?

After the rookie tests in Valencia last year (November 2021), if I had been told that I would be 4th in a first year in F3 after three rounds, what's more with Hitech, a new team for me, I wouldn't have believed it. We are fast on all tracks, I didn't expect the car to work like that everywhere. And I didn't imagine being in the rhythm so quickly on a personal level either. For a rookie, I don't think I made any big mistakes. The only regret I have is my puncture in Bahrain, but it was a crash that I honestly couldn't do anything about. With Hitech, everything goes well. Compared to the big teams like ART Grand Prix or Prema, we are not necessarily the fastest, but we are the most consistent.

Going to Hitech, given the team's recent results, was a bit of a gamble all the same. Is he a winner?

Clearly. I have the impression that the team is focused on me, and that's obviously nice. She is very attentive to my feedback. All the information I provide is taken into account, I feel it and it is appreciable. 

The Frenchman blended in perfectly with the Hitech collective. Here with his engineer Christophe Perrin, on the left. © Sebastiaan Rozendaal / Dutch Photo Agency / DPPI

Do you feel like the leader of this team?

It's not for me to say. I am the highest ranked driver in the team, yes, then I also have a very good teammate in the person of Kaylen Frederick, who had a great race in Barcelona. In any case, I really feel that the team is listening to what I am saying. I have a great relationship with my engineer Christophe Perrin, who is the most experienced engineer on the team and who has worked with some very good (Hag, Leclerc, Russell…).

The next F3 round will be Silverstone (July 1st to 3rd) where you have never driven. With only 50 minutes of practice before qualifying, are you worried?

A little bit yes. The majority of drivers have already ridden there. At the time, the Formula Renault was going there. Afterwards, it remains a track where we will do more laps than in Barcelona for example. Firstly because getting into action is always more difficult there, so you have to ride, and also because it is less demanding on the tires, so we will be able to push more without destroying our rubber. The implementation must be good, this will be imperative. Afterwards, it's certain that we won't do 20 laps in 50 minutes either. I am also reassured by the fact that Hitech has historically always performed well there.

Isack Hadjar, winner of a race in 2022. © Frits van Eldik / Dutch Photo Agency / DPPI

Has the Isack of 2022 reached another level compared to that of 2021?

I don't know. Above all, I would say that I have progressed in managing my emotions. Last year, I came out of the weekend with the feeling of having had a lot of speed but not necessarily a lot of points on the clock. While there, I have few regrets when I come out of the races, I am happy with my work. I have the impression of maximizing, even if we can always do better, but I would say that I manage to combine good performances with collecting points. 

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Where do you see your room for improvement?

The qualification. The only one of the season where we didn't have the car for pole, I think it was Imola. But in Bahrain and in Barcelona, ​​we had a very fast car, and I think I just lack a little experience to put it all together, when the tire is in the right window and the car is emptied of gasoline. Otherwise, I think racing has always been my strong point.

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