Key Takeaways
- Isack Hadjar showed strong pace in Q1 and Q2, even topping the timesheets in Q2, indicating the Red Bull RB20 was competitive at Montreal.
- A mistake on his first Q3 run disrupted his rhythm, leading to overdriving on the final lap and a disappointing P7 finish.
- Hadjar expressed frustration, feeling he “threw it all away” and believing he should have secured a top‑three grid slot.
- Despite the qualifying setback, he acknowledged the car’s improved performance compared to the Sprint and emphasized the need to understand the gain.
- The Saturday Sprint was marred by an early retirement due to a car issue, forcing Hadjar to rejoin at the back of the field before recovering later in the race.
Hadjar’s Early Qualifying Promise
Isack Hadjar entered the Canadian Grand Prix weekend with optimism after a solid showing in practice. During Q1, he quickly found a comfortable rhythm, posting a lap time that placed him safely within the top ten. His confidence grew as the session progressed into Q2, where he managed to improve further and even topped the timesheets for a brief moment. This surge suggested that the Red Bull RB20 had found a sweet spot on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit, outperforming its Saturday Sprint performance and giving Hadjar genuine hope of fighting for the front row.
The Turn in Q3
The momentum, however, began to falter as Q3 commenced. On his first timed lap of the final segment, Hadjar locked up the front‑left tire while braking into Turn 1, compromising his entry into the following chicane. The error forced him to carry excess speed through the corner, resulting in a loss of time that he could not recover on that lap. Consequently, he abandoned the run and headed back to the pits to analyse what went wrong, aware that a clean lap was essential for a grid‑position fight.
Overdriving on the Final Attempt
Returning to the track for his second and final Q3 attempt, Hadjar admitted he was “kind of overdriving it.” Without a reliable reference lap from his first run, he pushed harder than the car’s grip allowed, hoping to make up for the lost time. This aggressive approach caused the rear end to step out in several high‑speed sectors, particularly through the fast‑flowing Turn 8‑9 complex, where he struggled to keep the car planted. The resulting lap fell short of the pace he had shown earlier, leaving him well behind the leaders.
Self‑Criticism and Disappointment
After the session, a visibly frustrated Hadjar summed up his feelings: “I made a mistake on the first run of Q3, and I couldn’t really have a good reference heading into that final lap and I was kind of overdriving it.” He lamented that the car’s performance was the best it had been all year, yet his own errors prevented him from capitalising. “It’s really a shame because it’s the first time this year we’ve had such a good car, and I had to kind of throw it all away because I didn’t do a good job. I’m quite p****d,” he added, underscoring his belief that a top‑three starting position was within reach.
Recognising the Car’s Progress
Despite his self‑reproach, Hadjar conceded that Red Bull had made tangible strides heading into qualifying. “We need to understand why we were so much quicker than yesterday, even though I have an idea,” he noted, pointing to upgrades in aerodynamics and tyre‑temperature management that seemed to click on the Montreal layout. He viewed this improvement as a positive sign for the team’s development trajectory, even if his personal execution fell short.
The Goal of a Top‑Three Start
Hadjar’s conviction that he “should have been in that top three” stemmed from the lap times he posted in Q2, which were only a few tenths off the pace of the eventual pole‑sitter. He felt that a clean Q3 lap would have slotted him comfortably behind the frontrunners, possibly alongside his teammate Max Verstappen. The gap between his P7 finish and the top three was, in his view, a direct result of his own driving errors rather than a lack of car potential.
Sprint Struggles and Early Retirement
Qualifying was not the only obstacle Hadjar faced on Saturday. During the Sprint race earlier in the day, he encountered a sudden loss of power mid‑lap, prompting an immediate retirement to avoid further damage. After the car was inspected and a minor sensor fault was rectified, he rejoined the field at the back. Although he managed to climb through the pack and finish inside the points, the early exit disrupted his race rhythm and added to the frustration of a challenging weekend.
Lessons and Moving Forward
Reflecting on the weekend, Hadjar highlighted two key lessons: the importance of maintaining composure during critical qualifying laps and the need to develop a systematic approach to reference‑lap creation when the first attempt is compromised. He indicated that the team would review telemetry to pinpoint exactly where the overdriving occurred and work on driver‑coach feedback to prevent a recurrence. The experience, while disappointing, provides valuable data for both driver growth and car setup refinement ahead of the next round.
Outlook for the Race
Starting from P7 on the grid, Hadjar remains optimistic about his race prospects. The RB20’s demonstrated pace in Q2 suggests he possesses the tyre‑management and outright speed to challenge for podium positions, especially if he can execute a clean start and avoid the pitfalls that plagued his qualifying. With the Sprint’s early retirement now behind him, he aims to convert the car’s potential into a strong race result, turning Saturday’s disappointment into Sunday’s redemption.