Isack Hadjar faces challenges finding balance, while teammate Lawson remains hopeful, aiming for Q3 despite strong competition at the Saudi GP.
Isack Hadjar finished 12th in the second free practice session at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Racing Bulls driver has been struggling to build confidence behind the wheel of the VCARB 02, a car that still seems far from its earlier performance levels in the season.
“I’ve had a hard time finding the balance today. I feel there’s still room for improvement, which is reassuring because I know this isn’t the best we can do,” said the French driver, who was also getting his first experience on the Jeddah circuit in a Formula 1 car.
“This is the fastest street circuit out there, so it demands a lot of focus. It’s really tough but also very enjoyable. I’ll definitely be better tomorrow after a good night’s sleep. These cars give you so much confidence; we’ll fight for a spot in Q3 tomorrow, but making it there will be another challenge.”
Liam Lawson, who finished 14th in the second practice session, also experienced the Jeddah track for the first time behind the wheel of an F1 car: “It’s been a busy first day, but it was great to drive an F1 here for the first time. The circuit definitely lives up to the hype — it’s fast and really exciting.”
“We had a productive day and tried a lot of different setups. As for the tires, we’re going to try to learn as much as we can before tomorrow,” added the New Zealander, who observed that his team’s direct rivals were performing much better.
“It’s hard to say where we stand in terms of pace, as we still need to find more time compared to some of the other teams in the midfield. Alpine and Williams were really strong today, so we need to make progress, and that’s what we’re working hard on right now.”
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Hadjar Struggles with Balance, Lawson Eyes Q3 in Jeddah Hadjar Struggles with Balance, Lawson Eyes Q3 in Jeddah