Racing Bulls surprised in Shanghai as Hadjar and Tsunoda both reached Q3, setting the stage for a promising Grand Prix.
Racing Bulls turned heads in Shanghai as rookie Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda pushed their cars into Q3, qualifying 7th and 9th for Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.
Hadjar’s impressive performance came as a surprise — but the young Frenchman believes he could’ve done even better.
“It was like yesterday’s session, but this time I nailed it,” Hadjar told Canal+. “The pace was already there — it was just about putting it all together, which was tough with the gusty wind. So I’m happy.”
Still, he admitted there was more on the table:
“I made a few mistakes on my lap. There was definitely more time to find, and honestly, I could’ve been ahead of the Ferraris. That’s why I’m a bit frustrated, even though P7 is great.”
Looking ahead to the race, Hadjar is staying grounded:
“When I look at the guys ahead, we don’t quite have the pace to fight them. But scoring my first F1 points tomorrow — that would be really cool.”
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda also had a strong day, backing up a solid 6th-place finish in the Sprint with P9 in qualifying.
“That Sprint was tough, but I’m proud of how we handled it,” said Tsunoda. “The car felt strong from start to finish. Honestly, I thought it was going to be a tough race, but we held off some top teams and made the most of it.”
He did face some late-race struggles:
“There was more tyre degradation than I expected near the end, but I’m happy to grab a few more points, especially after missing out last weekend.”
As for qualifying, Tsunoda was pleased to see both Racing Bulls cars performing well:
“It’s great to have both cars in Q3 — big thanks to the team, both here and at the factory. Amazing job.”
He reflected on his own small mistake in Q3:
“I went a bit too hot into Turn 13 and ran wide, so I couldn’t finish the lap. But until then, it was going really well.”
Tsunoda also gave props to his teammate:
“Isack did a fantastic job today — really bounced back strong. Both of us are in the mix. If we get the strategy right, I’m confident we can score points again in the race.”
Update: 12:00PM
Hadjar Avoids Grid Penalty, Racing Bulls Fined for Pit Lane Incident
French driver Isack Hadjar has escaped a grid penalty following a close call with Max Verstappen during qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. However, his team, Racing Bulls, wasn’t as lucky.
The incident occurred in Q3 as drivers were preparing for their second flying laps. Verstappen was entering the pit lane when Racing Bulls released Hadjar from the garage directly into his path, forcing the reigning world champion to slow down.
Visibly frustrated, Verstappen shook his head but went on to qualify fourth. Hadjar secured an impressive seventh place, finishing ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who took ninth.
Race stewards reviewed the situation and determined that Racing Bulls had breached Article 34.14a of the Sporting Regulations. As a result, the team received a €5,000 fine.
The silver lining for Hadjar? He keeps his seventh-place starting position for the race.
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Hadjar Shines – Tsunoda Solid: Bulls Stun in Shanghai Hadjar Shines – Tsunoda Solid: Bulls Stun in Shanghai
