Melbourne Misery: Hadjar Wipes Out on Formation Lap Drama

Hadjar’s Nightmare: Crashes Out Before F1 Debut Even Begins

16/03/2025

Isack Hadjar’s F1 debut ended in disaster as the French rookie crashed on the formation lap, leaving him “embarrassed and sorry” for his team.

French driver Isack Hadjar endured a heartbreaking debut in Formula 1, crashing out before even making it to the starting grid in Melbourne.

On a slippery Albert Park circuit, Hadjar lost control of his Racing Bulls VCARB 02 during the formation lap, spinning out and hitting the barriers rear-first. His race was over before it even began, delaying the Grand Prix start by nearly 15 minutes.

After a long, head-down walk back to the paddock, helmet still on, the young driver shared his disappointment with Canal+.

“I’m just embarrassed and really sorry for the team. During the laps to the grid, I could see the conditions were tricky, but I wasn’t expecting to end up in the wall. By the time we were set to go, things had actually improved.”

“The formation lap is where you need to build temperature in the tires… I just made a mistake. I can’t believe it.”

On his way back, Hadjar received a comforting pat on the back from Anthony Hamilton, father of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton—an emotional moment for the young Frenchman, who has long admired the British racing legend.

“He knows what tough moments feel like, and it was kind of him to come over. It hurts, but having someone there to support me meant a lot.”

A tough start for Hadjar, but a reminder that in F1, even the best have had their share of difficult days.

Melbourne Misery: Hadjar Wipes Out on Formation Lap Drama Melbourne Misery: Hadjar Wipes Out on Formation Lap Drama

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21 Mar 2025 - 23 Mar 2025
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21 MAR 03:30 - 04:30
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21 MAR 07:30 - 08:14
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22 MAR 03:00 - 04:00
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2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Race Results

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
57
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.895s
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+8.481s
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
+12.773s
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+15.135s
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
+17.413s
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
+18.423s
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
+19.826s
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+20.448s
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+22.473s
Pierre Gasly
11
PIERRE
GASLY
+26.502s
Yuki Tsunoda
12
YUKI
TSUNODA
+29.884s
Esteban Ocon
13
ESTEBAN
OCON
+33.161s
Oliver Bearman
14
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+40.351s
Liam Lawson
15
LIAM
LAWSON
47 DNF
Gabriel Bortoleto
16
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
47 DNF
Fernando Alonso
17
FERNANDO
ALONSO
34 DNF
Carlos Sainz
18
CARLOS
SAINZ
0 DNF
Jack Doohan
19
JACK
DOOHAN
0 DNF
Isack Hadjar
20
ISACK
HADJAR
0 DNF
F1 CALENDAR 2025
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Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japanese Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
United States Flag
United States
Miami
04 May

2025 FORMULA 1 DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
25 Points
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
18
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
15
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
12
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
10
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
8
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
6
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
4
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
2
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
1

2025 FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

1
McLaren
27
2
Mercedes
25
3
Red Bull
18
4
Williams
12
5
Aston Martin
8
6
Sauber
6
7
Ferrari
5
8
Alpine F1
0
9
Haas F1
0
10
Racing Bulls
0
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