Hadjar Admits Throwing Away 'Easy Points' in Costly Miami Crash

Red Bull's Isack Hadjar took full responsibility for a dramatic early crash at the Miami Grand Prix, calling it a "tough one" after a self-inflicted error robbed him of what he believed was a guaranteed points finish. Starting from the pitlane, the Frenchman's race lasted just four laps before he struck the wall at the Turn 14/15 chicane, ending a promising charge through the field.

Why it matters:

For a young driver in a top team, capitalizing on rare opportunities for strong results is critical. Hadjar's crash represents a significant missed chance to score valuable points and build momentum, especially after a difficult qualifying. Such errors can impact a driver's confidence and a team's evaluation, making his honest accountability and immediate desire to rebound key to his development.

The details:

• Hadjar was excluded from qualifying, forcing a pitlane start on the hard tyre. Despite this, he made rapid progress, feeling the car had "very good pace" and easily overtaking several cars in the opening laps.
• The crash itself was a sudden loss of focus. Hadjar admitted, "I just didn't see it coming," describing a quick impact that broke the steering and sent him into the outside barrier. He stated the incident "shows how much you need to be focussed, and I wasn't."
• Frustration and Accountability: The 21-year-old was visibly angry, slamming his steering wheel after the crash. He did not deflect blame, saying, "I just threw it all away" and acknowledging that both he and the team had made mistakes throughout the weekend, calling it "a bit of a disaster."
• Silver Lining in Performance: Despite the result, Hadjar found a positive in the RB20's improved performance, noting it felt faster than in previous rounds and that making Q3 was no longer the struggle it had been. He pointed to teammate Max Verstappen's results as proof the car "made a step."

Looking ahead:

With a two-week break until the Canadian Grand Prix, Hadjar is left to stew on the mistake but is keen to return immediately.

• He expressed an urgent desire to get back in the car, saying, "I'm itching to get back to it like right now."
• The team appears to have resolved some power unit issues that plagued them on Friday, moving in the "right direction." The focus for Montreal will be converting that potential into a clean, points-scoring weekend with "no margin for fine-tuning."