Hadjar deplores a reputation tarnished by his radio messages: "I am less aggressive than people think"

Isack Hadjar is getting ready to jump into the deep end. Next March, the new Racing Bulls driver will be the third Frenchman on the starting grid of the Formula 1 and will compete in his very first Grand Prix, in Australia (March 16). The young protégé of the Red Bull gained promotion to the premier class thanks to more than convincing performances in Formula 2, where he finished runner-up in 2024 behind Gabriel Bortoleto. A championship where the Parisian was able to shine with numerous victories… but also a few outbursts on his radio.

Indeed, Isack Hadjar is not known for being among the calmest drivers when it comes to discussing with his team on the radio. Last year, on several occasions, the French driver did not mince his words, expressing his anger or discontent without filter. The most striking example was undoubtedly the end of the Main Race in Monaco, where the Frenchman lost the victory in the final laps while leading the race, after being trapped by the Safety Car and by the audacious gamble of Zak O'Sullivan, who eventually won. "Are you serious? I asked if I could push! This is not possible! We should have covered better than that! (…) Don't talk to me. This is a joke! What just happened? (…) It's not a question of smiling or not, it's a question of doing the job.", he had shouted to his engineer on the deceleration lap.

However, Isack Hadjar believes that his reputation is tarnished by these heated and unfortunate moments, and that it does not reflect the pilot he really is. "Some drivers say, 'When I lower my visor, I'm a different person.' Honestly, I feel very calm when I'm driving, says Isack Hadjar in a report published on the official Formula 1 website. I think a lot. I'm aware of the danger. I wouldn't say I'm any different than I am outside the cockpit. Maybe I'm less aggressive than people think. But of course, the radio button makes me seem like an angry person. I know I'm passionate, that's for sure, and sometimes angry."

Hadjar seizes his 'last chance' to go to F1

A reputation that is not without recalling that of a certain… Yuki tsunoda, who also had the unfortunate tendency to be a rather virulent driver when it came to speaking on the radio during his early years. For Isack Hadjar, these moments of tension last year were also linked to his situation within the Red Bull house and his future in car : in fact, the 2024 season was the final opportunity for the Parisian to shine alongside Helmut Marko and his ilk and prove to them that he truly had his place in the premier category.

"I was able to stay at Red Bull for another year, but they were very clear, it was the last chance to get to F1, confides the vice-champion of Formula 2, beaten for the title in the last race by Gabriel Bortoleto. They put me at Campos, they decided, but when I saw the previous seasons, I realised the potential of the team. I thought that with a stronger driver, they could do very good races. It started very badly. I had the pace but I couldn't get results. […] I thought it was almost over for F1, even if there were a lot of races left, because it's difficult to turn that kind of situation around. But we did it from Melbourne and we had great momentum from there."

In 2025, Isack Hadjar will have a lot to prove, both on the track and on the radio. If he can temper his ardor and show good top speed at Racing Bulls, a bright future could be promised to him in the coming years within the Red Bull family. In a highly competitive and ruthless environment, the Frenchman will have no room for error.

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