sack Hadjar’s fearless approach impresses Helmut Marko, yet the Frenchman acknowledges his deep gratitude for Marko’s unwavering support.
Isack Hadjar long feared that Red Bull’s decision to promote him to F1 through the Racing Bulls team might fall through. The Frenchman knew he would be judged on his performances throughout the season and refused to feel reassured until he had signed, as he told Canal+ during the FFSA awards ceremony.
“Honestly, by mid-season, I already knew what was happening. There were moments when I was on the verge of being announced. But we know how it works in this sport, things move very quickly. Then we talked about the following year, and it was an emotional rollercoaster,” Hadjar said.
“It’s such a tough environment that you think at some point… even in Qatar, I was told it would happen, but until I had signed, I kept thinking something could go wrong. Until two or three days ago, I wasn’t certain—I really had to sign the paperwork because you never know with these people!”
Hadjar is pleased to have been chosen by Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant, with whom he shares a very close relationship: “I never really tried to convince him. It’s just the relationship I have with him. It’s not a boss-employee relationship where people clash when things don’t go well.”
“I never back down in front of him. When he disagrees, I tell him what I think, and I believe he respects me for my personality, what I do on track, and I think that was enough.”
“He told me that now it’s time to show what I can do. If things don’t go well,” [he whistles to indicate he’d be sidelined], “he said it’s my moment. I was touched that he made the trip to sign the contract with me. I owe him a lot.”
Franz Tost, the former Racing Bulls team principal, had said it takes three years for a driver to adapt to F1, but Hadjar believes it takes even longer: “There are drivers who spend 15 years in F1 and keep progressing and improving in different areas.”
“Of course, the speed is there; it’s innate. But you need experience. When he says three years, I think he’s being generous. Look at Max Verstappen—he started becoming a machine after six years in F1. I’m not worried about the speed, but it’s everything else that comes with it.”
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Marko’s Trust in Hadjar: Bold Personality Seals the Deal Marko’s Trust in Hadjar: Bold Personality Seals the Deal
