Isack Hadjar's Miami Reality Check: Red Bull Rookie Learns From First Major Setback

Isack Hadjar's impressive start to his Red Bull career hit a speed bump in Miami. After qualifying third in Australia and out-qualifying Max Verstappen in Japan, the French rookie found himself eight-tenths per lap slower than his teammate all weekend—and then crashed out early in the race. It was a harsh reality check for the 21-year-old.

Why it matters:

How Hadjar responds to setbacks will define his future at Red Bull. The team has a history of putting enormous pressure on its second driver, and learning to bounce back from tough weekends is a crucial skill for anyone hoping to stay alongside Verstappen long-term.

The details:

• Miami struggles: Hadjar was visibly frustrated after his crash, repeatedly hitting the steering wheel. He later admitted, “I was just pissed off at myself, a lack of focus.”
• Lesson learned: Despite the disappointment, Hadjar says he gained valuable insight into how to react when things go wrong. “I didn't really do a good job in Miami and I learned from it,” he explained ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
• Red Bull's upgrade progress: While Hadjar struggled, the team took a step forward with a major upgrade package in Miami—including its own Macarena-style wing and revised sidepods. Hadjar noted the package “surprised me and many people in the paddock.”
• Steering issue not universal: Verstappen revealed Red Bull had fixed a steering problem he'd felt since the Barcelona shakedown. But Hadjar said he never felt the same issue, calling Verstappen's sensitivity “very impressive.”

What's next:

Hadjar will aim to rebuild momentum in Montreal, where he showed improved pace in sprint qualifying—limiting the gap to Verstappen to just one-tenth. Red Bull expects further upgrades in the coming races, and Hadjar's ability to extract performance from the car will be closely watched.