Isack Hadjar claims his first Formula 1 points with a stunning eighth-place finish in a near-perfect race at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar secured his first-ever points in Formula 1, finishing in eighth place at the Japanese Grand Prix. This result highlights his strong performances throughout the season, especially after a tough outing in Australia and a challenging strategy in China.
“The eighth place is well-deserved; it was almost a perfect weekend,” said Hadjar. “We couldn’t have done better. We knew Lewis [Hamilton] would eventually pass us, but we weren’t racing against him; we were focused on battling with Albon, and we had a flawless race.”
Hadjar had a strong start, even trying to overtake Hamilton early on. “I got a better start than him, and I was close to [Kimi] Antonelli. We kept our positions, but with the pace Hamilton had, he eventually overtook us. It was fun to battle with him for a bit,” he explained.
While he enjoyed the challenge against Carlos Sainz, Hadjar admitted that overtaking him was a nerve-wracking experience. “It was exciting, but I was really scared! I’m incredibly tired; the pace was relentless, and we kept getting faster every lap. On a track like that, it’s exhausting. My neck is destroyed.”
Lawson’s Strategy Gamble Falls Short
Meanwhile, Liam Lawson finished 17th in his return to the team, admitting that the team’s strategic gamble didn’t pay off. Starting further back, they extended his first stint, but it didn’t work out as planned. “There’s not much more to say. We stretched the stint and tried something that didn’t work,” he said.
“It was a tough start, and the first lap was challenging. We’ll learn from this. I’m still getting used to the car; I had a good rhythm throughout the weekend, just not when I needed it most. But there are positives to take away from it.”
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Hadjar Shines with First F1 Points in Japanese GP Hadjar Shines with First F1 Points in Japanese GP