Racing Bulls’ fresh-faced rookie Isack Hadjar is ready to rumble ahead of his maiden F1 season, but contrary to what his team radio outbursts suggested last year, he’s not the angriest driver alive.
The 20-year-old Frenchman admits that his fiery rants over the air waves during his F2 campaign painted him as an absolute rage machine.
The fact that several of his outbursts were broadcasted live on race day only compounded the perception of a hot-headed driver who lets his emotions get the better of him under pressure.
“Certain drivers say ‘when I put the visor down, I’m a different person, different animal’,” Hadjar told F1.com.
“Honestly, I feel really composed when I drive. I’m aware of the danger. I wouldn’t say I am different to the guy on the outside.
“Maybe I am less aggressive than what people think. But obviously the radio button makes me look like a really angry guy.”
“I know I’m passionate, that’s for sure, and angry at times.”
From Last-Chance F2 to the Big Time
Hadjar’s road to F1 wasn’t smooth sailing. After finishing 14th in his rookie F2 season, he was under pressure to prove he was Red Bull material and worthy of being kept in its driver programme.
“I got to be part of Red Bull for another year,” he said. “But they were clear about it – it was the last chance to make it to F1.”
Red Bull placed him at Campos Racing, a team that hadn’t been a championship contender in years. But Hadjar saw potential.
“They put me at Campos, they decided it, but then when I looked at the season and previous years, I really saw potential in the team. [I thought] with a stronger driver, they could maybe deliver some really good races.”
His season got off to a nightmare start – taken out in the first feature race, then hit by technical gremlins in both races at the next round.
“It started really wrong,” he said. “I had all the pace in the world, right, but I couldn’t get the results.”
But then, Australia happened. Hadjar won both races on track, though a penalty robbed him of one. Even so, that weekend flipped his season around.
“I thought F1 was pretty much over. Even though there were a lot of rounds left, you don’t turn around things like this. But actually, we did from Melbourne and we had mega momentum,” he admitted.
Monaco Meltdown and the Marko Factor
One of Hadjar’s biggest radio outbursts came in Monaco, where he looked set to take a third straight feature race win – until a Virtual Safety Car let rival Zak O’Sullivan sneak ahead.
“It was a very tough day in the office,” he recalled.
To make matters worse, Dr. Helmut Marko was waiting for him in the Red Bull garage afterward.
“You jump out of the car after a tough session, you’ve got Helmut Marko waiting for explanations and everything.
“Sometimes you didn’t do [anything] wrong, but it’s a really tricky situation. Plus the fact that you’re disappointed yourself.”
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However, the young gun knows that racing isn’t just about individual talent – sometimes, things are simply out of a driver’s control.
“Unfortunately, it’s not really an individual sport, there’s much more involved. So it takes a lot to mentally be ready.”
Despite the rough patches, Hadjar delivered when it mattered, finishing second in the F2 championship and earning his F1 promotion.
He’s now set to partner Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls, where his passion, skill, and yes – occasional radio rants – will be on full display.
One thing’s for sure: F1 just got a little more entertaining.
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