It was another strong drive for Isack Hadjar in Barcelona, who finished 7th place to increase his already impressive points tally.
Since his formation lap crash in Australian, the young Frenchman has established himself quickly in F1.
Isack Hadjar impresses Red Bull with consistent results at VCARB
Over the last few years, there has always been at least one experienced driver at VCARB.
From Pierre Gasly to Yuki Tsunoda, the Faenza team have always enjoyed the presence of at least one well-known reference in their garage.
This all changed after the Japanese GP, when Tsunoda replaced Liam Lawson at Red Bull.
Understandably, it was these drivers that were at the centre of discussion and debate when the swap was first announced.
However, Isack Hadjar has arguably been the greatest beneficiary of this mid-season change.
Whilst Lawson has worked to re-acclimatise to Red Bull’s second team, Hadjar has relentlessly been scoring points.
In combination with his regular Q3 appearances, the Frenchman is now a common presence in the top 10.
Red Bull are taking notice of this, with Christian Horner praising the youngster’s performances last weekend in Spain:
“I think he’s been the most outstanding of the rookies,” he told Canal+.
“The expectation on him wasn’t as high as he’s delivered so far.
“He’s exceeded all our expectations, he’s been fast, he’s been consistent.
“He’s constantly delivered, and I think it’s been a great start to his Formula 1 career.
“And I think he just needs to keep that momentum running.”
When asked about what he foresees in Hadjar’s future, Horner responded:
“His future, if keeps performing as he is, is very bright.”
Why Red Bull’s next steps are unclear
When analysing the situation at Red Bull and the Racing Bulls, it is important not to become reactionary.
On the one hand, there is no denying that Hadjar is having a brilliant rookie year – especially since he want under the radar during pre-season.
At the same time, his strong performances should not automatically catapult him into the Red Bull seat.
His former teammate Yuki Tsunoda (albeit in a very small sample size) was comfortably faster in the first two rounds.
Although this is certainly not a criticism of Hadjar – who was only just finding his feet in F1 – it is important to bear in mind.
Hadjar’s current form is being facilitated by a competitive and, perhaps more crucially, drivable car with a relatively big operating window.
The same cannot be said of Red Bull’s RB21, which gives its driver very little margin for error.
This partly explains Tsunoda’s recent struggles, although incorrect set-up choice (which Red Bull’s technical director admitted after qualifying) and a lack of spare parts since his Imola incident have also negatively impacted his performances.
Should the Japanese driver rediscover his pace from Jeddah and Miami, he should have a platform to start building from.
Regardless of Tsunoda’s fortunes, it would be premature to interrupt Hadjar’s progress by putting him alongside Max Verstappen.
His future in F1 could undoubtedly be very bright, but finishing the year with VCARB – rather than jumping into the RB21 halfway through the year – is the best path for his trajectory and development.
Main photo: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images (via Red Bull content pool)
