Key Highlights:
- Isack Hadjar labeled his FP2 run in Austin “a disaster” and his Red Bull RB22 “undriveable” after dropping 0.931s behind team-mate Max Verstappen.
- Set-up modifications between sessions caused severe front-tyre overheating through the high-speed first sector, ruining Hadjar’s qualifying simulation on the soft compound.
- Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache confirmed the team took the wrong set-up direction between practice sessions and plans to revert the changes ahead of Saturday running.
Isack Hadjar Struggles with Handling in Friday Practice at Austin
Red Bull Racing reserve and test driver Isack Hadjar endured a frustrating second practice session at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, finishing ninth overall and nearly a second off the pace of his garage partner. Hadjar concluded FP2 a substantial 0.931s adrift of Max Verstappen, who secured the third-fastest time behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli. The French driver struggled considerably following chassis set-up adjustments carried out between the opening two track sessions.
The car changes severely impacted tyre performance on the softer rubber. Hadjar experienced severe front-end thermal degradation through Austin’s fast, sweeping initial complex, leaving the RB22 stripped of grip across the remainder of the circuit.
We had an okay FP1, and then in FP2 I felt okay as well on the medium, even though we changed the car,
he explained. And the soft, honestly, the car was completely gone for me. So yeah, very difficult to drive.
I need to turn things around tomorrow, sit down and see what we can do, because the car made a massive step down. We need to bring it back at least to the level it was this morning.
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Tyre Degradation Sparks Confusion for Hadjar
Hadjar detailed how his qualifying simulation deteriorated after the first sector, where tyre temperatures escalated dramatically and prevented him from matching his earlier pace on harder compounds.
It’s just a disaster. After Sector 1, basically, where I made most of my lap time, from Sector 1 to the end of the lap, I was slower than on the medium,
Hadjar remarked. It was just undriveable, and I was losing the front end massively. So we need to have a look, because that’s not normal, why there’s so much deg on one lap.
Across the Red Bull garage, Verstappen did not experience equivalent distress once the crew resolved a power steering problem from FP1. While minor specification divergence existed between the two cars, Hadjar remained hopeful that the squad could recover the performance window ahead of Saturday’s competitive sessions.
Yeah, if they managed to do it on the other side [of the garage],
the Frenchman noted. It’s like the temperatures are going sky high, and we’re going at the same speed.
So we need to tweak something on the car balance, because we’re running different stuff. You need to try. But to have such a bad feeling, I’m a bit surprised, to be honest.
Red Bull Engineering Plans Set-up Reversal
Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache acknowledged that the technical crew erred in their baseline direction for Hadjar’s car during the interval between practice sessions, though he made clear that the differences between the two RB22 packages were not vast.
Well, I think it’s an overall set-up direction that we have to undo, between P1 and P2, and it’s what we are working on this evening,
Wache stated. They are not far away. With this type of layout, you have the full high-speed corner during the Sector 1, after Turn 1, and I think if you overcook the tyre there, after it’s more or less finished for the lap.
Wache also highlighted the physical challenge presented by the circuit surface, with the track’s well-known bumps upsetting the aerodynamic platform of the machinery.
As expected it’s jumping a lot,
he said. The problem with this type of setup we are using, that is quite not as stiff as last year but not so far, is that the car is not very compliant on these bumps here.
It’s clearly the low speed performance where we are focused on at the moment – low speed is the key for us.
Why This Matters
Circuit of the Americas is historically one of the most demanding circuits on the Formula 1 calendar for tyre management and vehicle compliance due to its combination of high-energy corner sequences and an uneven track surface. With limited practice time available across a race weekend, an erroneous baseline set-up can critically compromise single-lap qualifying performance and elevate thermal degradation over longer race stints. For Red Bull, isolating why Hadjar’s car suffered aggressive front tyre drop-off compared to Verstappen’s sister car is essential for dialing in mechanical balance, safeguarding low-speed stability, and optimizing car compliance over Austin’s aggressive bumps before parc fermé conditions lock in settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Isack Hadjar so far behind Max Verstappen in FP2?
Hadjar suffered extreme front tyre overheating on the soft compound after set-up adjustments between FP1 and FP2. Pushing through the high-speed corners in Sector 1 caused tyre temperatures to spike, leaving him with excessive front-end grip loss and setting lap times slower than his runs on the medium tyre.
What does Red Bull plan to do to fix the RB22’s issues?
Technical Director Pierre Wache confirmed the team will spend Friday evening reversing the set-up changes made between P1 and P2. The engineering team is specifically aiming to improve compliance over the track’s bumps and optimize low-speed performance.
Did Max Verstappen experience the same car problems?
No. Verstappen had an FP1 delay due to a power steering change, but he did not experience the severe tyre degradation seen on Hadjar’s car during FP2, setting the third-fastest time behind Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli.
