Key Highlights:
- Isack Hadjar will start the Singapore Grand Prix from the back of the grid after a gearbox failure left him unclassified in Qualifying.
- Hadjar’s weekend has been marred by repeated mechanical failures, following a previous battery issue that cost him a podium in Malaysia and an early retirement during the Singapore Sprint.
- Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies issued a public apology to Hadjar as teammate Max Verstappen secured his 50th career pole position in contrasting fashion.
Isack Hadjar could not hide his mounting frustration with Red Bull’s recurring reliability issues during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, after a mechanical failure during Qualifying prevented him from posting a representative lap time. The French driver will consequently be relegated to the back row of the grid for Sunday’s race, compounding an increasingly difficult stretch in the RB22 that has severely hampered his competitive showings.
Mechanical Turmoil Haunts Hadjar’s Singapore Weekend
The troubles in Singapore follow on the heels of recent setbacks for Hadjar, who previously missed out on a potential podium finish in Malaysia due to a critical battery malfunction. His technical woes persisted at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, where he was forced into retirement during the Sprint session earlier in the weekend due to a mechanical breakdown.
Entering the Qualifying session, Hadjar remained motivated to demonstrate his underlying pace, even taking to the team radio to thank his crew for their efforts in repairing the car in time. However, his aspirations were cut short almost immediately. After running deep into a corner, Hadjar was seen crawling around the street circuit at severely reduced speed, alerting his pit wall over the radio that “the engine is off”
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While Hadjar temporarily got the car moving again, the persistent issue forced him to abandon the session entirely and retreat to the pit lane. Left without a timed lap, he ended the session unclassified and cemented a start from the very tail of the field on Sunday.
Frustration and Disappointment Over Damaged Gearbox
Hadjar later clarified the specific nature of the problem, pointing directly to a terminal gearbox failure on his opening flying lap. The Frenchman detailed the rapid demise of his session: “What’s funny is that I felt nice in Sector 1, until in Turn 8 I broke the gearbox, basically. That’s it. I tried to… I don’t even know why we kept going.“The car was absolutely damaged. I knew it was the end, but I didn’t want to stop on track, so I kept bringing the car back [to] the garage.
The young driver acknowledged how testing the ongoing technical gremlins have been across successive race events: “I was being annoying, but honestly, I’m just craving to be out there on track, driving and doing my best. Now I’m really, really frustrated, because we’ve had issues in every session but FP1.
Looking ahead to his recovery attempt on Sunday, Hadjar recalled previous comeback drives at the circuit while expressing his disappointment over missing out on the shootout: “I’m going to give my best. I don’t know… I think Carlos [Sainz] last year started around last [18th], and he finished 10th or something. I still want to push and bring points, but I just… I like the Qualifying, adrenaline, and [when] I don’t get to have it, I’m really p****d.”
Laurent Mekies Offers Public Apology Amid Contrasting Fortunes
The situation in Hadjar’s garage stood in stark contrast to the performance of his Red Bull teammate, Max Verstappen. Verstappen topped the timesheets to capture the 50th pole position of his Grand Prix career, proving that the RB22 possessed the ultimate pace to fight at the sharp end of the grid around the Marina Bay layout.
With the car’s speed firmly established, Team Principal Laurent Mekies shouldered full responsibility for the mechanical failures that derailed Hadjar’s weekend at a venue notoriously punishing on overtakes.
“We need to send a good apology to Isack, really,”
Mekies stated to F1 TV after the Qualifying session. “We didn’t give him any chance to express his speed this weekend.
Mekies expanded on the garage’s disappointments: “Luckily it doesn’t happen very often, but it’s been particularly frustrating this weekend – a power unit issue this morning in the Sprint and a gearbox issue this afternoon in Qualifying.
Acknowledging the immense challenge that lies ahead for Sunday’s Grand Prix, Mekies added: “It’s so frustrating because it’s one of the races where Qualifying position is particularly important, but we’ll fight with him tomorrow from the back of the grid to bring him back to the points.”
Why This Matters
The Marina Bay Street Circuit is historically recognized as one of the most difficult tracks on the Formula 1 calendar for overtaking, making Qualifying execution paramount to securing championship points. Red Bull’s acute reliability disparity between its two cars puts additional strain on the team’s constructors’ championship tally and prevents Hadjar from capitalizing on a clearly competitive baseline package. For Hadjar, delivering a recovery drive from the final row will demand aggressive strategy, superior tyre management, and reliance on potential Safety Car periods to salvage a top-ten result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where will Isack Hadjar start the Singapore Grand Prix?
Because he was unable to set a lap time during Qualifying due to a mechanical breakdown, Isack Hadjar ended the session unclassified and will line up on the back row of the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
What specific issue caused Hadjar’s Qualifying retirement?
Hadjar and Red Bull confirmed that a broken gearbox sustained around Turn 8 during his opening run caused terminal damage, forcing him back to the garage before he could record a lap time.
What previous mechanical issues affected Hadjar leading up to this event?
Prior to his gearbox failure in Qualifying, Hadjar suffered a power unit issue during the Singapore Sprint session that forced him to retire, and he previously lost a likely podium finish in Malaysia due to a critical battery problem.
