Hadjar: Passion - Calm - and Misunderstood Aggression in F1

Isack Hadjar discusses his racing mindset, calm demeanor, and the misconception of being overly aggressive when competing on the track.

Isack Hadjar has already made a name for himself with his radio outbursts. The driver, set to join the Racing Bulls F1 team this year, insists that despite his moments of lost composure, he feels very calm behind the wheel.

“Some drivers say that when I lower the visor, I become a different person, a different animal,” Hadjar told F1’s official channel. “Honestly, I feel very calm when I drive. I think a lot. I’m aware of the danger.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m different from the guy you see outside the car. I’m probably less aggressive than people think. But obviously, the radio button makes me sound like a very angry man. I know I’m passionate, for sure, and sometimes I’m angry.”

After a mediocre first season in F2, the Frenchman was relieved to retain Red Bull’s support but was warned that this is his final chance: “I was able to stay with Red Bull for one more year, but they made it clear—this is my last shot at reaching F1.”

“They placed me with Campos, it was their decision, but when I looked at the season and past years, I really saw the team’s potential. I thought that with a stronger driver, the team could possibly have some very good races.”

He reveals that one of his worst memories was the feature race in Monaco, where Zak O’Sullivan snatched a guaranteed win from him due to a virtual safety car in the final two laps: “That was a very difficult day. You step out of the car after a tough session, and Helmut Marko is waiting for explanations.”

“Because sometimes you haven’t done anything wrong, but it’s still a really tricky situation. On top of that, you’re already disappointed yourself. Unfortunately, this isn’t really an individual sport—there’s much more at play, so you have to be mentally prepared.”