Isack Hadjar takes on the Dakar Rally's Ford Raptor T1+ with Mitch Guthrie

« There is no rest for the wicked "No rest for the bad guys... nor for Isack Hadjar! Taking advantage of the winter break, the new teammate of Max Verstappen traded his Formula 1 for a Ford Raptor T1+, the same machine entered by Ford in the Dakar this January.

Far from the circuits used by F1 during the season, The French national team tackled the Nevada desert, at Pahrump.Initially jostled in the passenger seat during a reconnaissance lap alongside Mitch Guthrie, Isack Hadjar then took on a most demanding challenge: to complete a lap within 15 seconds of the American driver's benchmark time, and in just five laps! Guthrie had set the bar high, at three minutes and 16 seconds. Isack Hadjar's objective: three minutes and 31 seconds.

Guided by Mitch Guthrie, the Parisian driver took the wheel of the Raptor for a very ambitious first lap, completed in 4 minutes and 20 seconds. From the second lap onwards, the F1 driver looked more comfortable, improving his time despite a wide line that caught him out in a corner. As the saying goes across the Atlantic, Third time's a charm " : the third attempt was the right one, with a time of 3 min 31 s, challenge met.

But Isack Hadjar didn't stop there. On his fifth and final attempt, the pilot Red Bull pushed the limits even further, setting an impressive time of 3 minutes and 18 seconds, just two seconds behind Mitch Guthrie! Could this lead to a career change to off-road racing? Not yet. But after climbing out of the Raptor, Hadjar didn't hide his enthusiasm: I could do this all day! »

For now, the focus is on Formula 1, with the presentation of the car 2026 is scheduled for January 15th. It's also worth noting that Ford, in collaboration with Red Bull Powertrains, will supply engines to the Red Bull and Racing Bulls single-seaters starting this season.

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