The Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday was a monumental occasion for Racing Bulls rookie driver Isack Hadjar. The 20-year-old Frenchman crossed the line in third place at Zandvoort, clinching his first-ever Formula 1 podium in just his debut season.
Hadjar's podium is the first for Racing Bulls since Pierre Gasly finished third at the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix when the team was branded as AlphaTauri. However, the celebration was capped off with a comical twist after Hadjar accidentally broke his trophy during the post-race celebrations.
Isack Hadjar makes history at Zandvoort
Lining up fourth on the starting grid, Hadjar kept his cool throughout the race, maintaining a steady pace. After McLaren’s Lando Norris was forced to retire from second place with just seven laps to go, Hadjar, who moved up into third place behind Verstappen he seized the opportunity and took the car across the finish line. The result placed him among the youngest drivers in F1 history to secure a podium finish.
The podium capped an already impressive season for Hadjar who has contributed 37 of the team’s 60 points so far this season, playing a crucial role in their battle within the competitive midfield.
Will Hadjer partner Verstappen in future?
With recent leadership changes at Red Bull including the promotion of Laurent Mekies to team principal following Christian Horner’s departure Hadjar's rise may come at a perfect time. Many within the F1 paddock are already tipping him as a future contender for a seat at the senior Red Bull squad.
The team is evaluating him alongside Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson. While Tsunoda finished ninth in Zandvoort and Lawson fell out of contention after a collision, Hadjar’s flawless drive has set him apart.
Speaking about the podium finish, Hadjar said, “It feels a bit unreal. What was most surprising for me was keeping that fourth place for the whole race."
“Unfortunately for Lando, we took advantage of his [retirement], but we made no mistakes. The car was on rails the whole weekend, and I'm really happy about myself because I really maximised what I had, made no mistakes and brought home the podium, so I'm so happy for my guys.”
