It “definitely feels good to get there with the big boys,” says Isack Hadjar after qualifying in Shanghai – and has a big grin on the face. Not even a week after Helmut Marko described his “tearful show” in Melbourne as “embarrassing”, 20-year-old Frenchman of Algerian descent at the Grand Prix of China is suddenly one of the positive appearances of the weekend.
Hadjar was second in Q1 on Saturday, beaten only by Lando Norris, fourth in Q2 – and at the end seventh in Q3, more than half a second before his teammate at the Racing Bulls, Yuki Tsunoda.
A performance that Marko also rates positively: “This is very gratifying what Hadjar delivers,” says Red Bull’s motorsport consulent in an interview with the house and farm broadcaster ServusTV. “He does not know the course here, but drives without errors. This is a very positive surprise. Yuki is just behind. But he is in the fifth year. Hadjar comes new, does not know the route, knows nothing. And hits the times.”
To forgive and forget, it seems that the mishap in the warm -up round in the rain of Melbourne – especially since there was also a pronunciation between Marko and Hadjar on Monday. “Because such interpretations came,” said Marko. In the conversation, he also told the youngster “that his achievements were sensational up to the slip. This can happen, as it happened to others. Such a white line has her pitfalls. But so far absolutely fascinating what it is going.”
Verstappen disabled, 5,000 euros punishment
It didn’t hurt that there was a 5,000 euro money penalty for the Hadjar Box because of “unsafe release”. At the last Q3 run, the number 1 mechanic gave the release, even though Max Verstappen has just driven down the pit lane. He had to avoid “to avoid a collision, or if he would have had the risk of a brake board when braking. The team representative granted the team’s mistake. Therefore, the team is imposed a fine of 5,000 euros,” says the justification of the FIA racing commissioner.
Hadjar had in Q1, when it was even in the lead, “the best feeling in the car. In Q2, the wind changed a bit and I could never find the same balance again. I had more to fight. In Q3 I knew that I was losing time. There was definitely more round time and a better result possible,” he says confidently.
Even Tsunoda is “a bit surprised” how strongly Hadjar is in Shanghai: “Especially when I think of the test in Bahrain. He was probably not as quick as now. But he has taken a step forward since then, and so far it really seems to have been a good step.”
In its part, the Japanese delivers a sparkling weekend, focuses on the focus, has largely turned off his grumbling on the box radio. In the F1 sprint, he was sixth a sensational result. In qualifying he lost to Hadjar for half a second. “I had a little moment in curve 13 and got off the track. So I couldn’t finish the round. Until then, it was honestly a pretty good round,” says Tsunoda.
Compared to the sprint qualifying on Friday, however, the team took “a huge step”, because “I was honestly not really satisfied with the car. Nevertheless, I was on P8 at the end. But that was unexpected. But I had a much better feeling when I drove out in Q1 than in SQ. That immediately gave me confidence.”
It was “a mega, mega, mega qualifying”, team boss Laurent Mekies beams: “P7 and P9, what can you say? We are at the forefront, with the big ones. We lead the midfield. I think in the third qualifying in a row. So it was in Melbourne, so it was in Sprint-Qualifying yesterday.”
The racing bulls are also suddenly hyped in the media. On Saturday, some TV commentators even asked themselves whether the VCARB 02 may be the better car than Red Bulls RB21, after all, Liam Lawson only took the last place with this. And even if nobody takes it seriously at the racing Bulls: “We move in the right direction,” Mekies states soberly.
Mekies: Tsunoda in Shanghai “Stratosphere” good
“Yuki was over stratospheric all weekend, and Isack has proven today that he can absolutely keep up. As we all know: There are no points for qualifying. The points were in the sprint this morning, and we already got some. But tomorrow is the first real dry race – and that is another important moment to assess our performance. But again very clear that we have a very good sign for the right way for us to do it again tomorrow. are.”
Because slowly it is emerging: Melbourne was not a coincidence, and Shanghai is probably none. “We have often had difficulties in long curves in the past, especially in the Longrun,” analyzes Tsunoda. “However, the front axle has become much stronger compared to last year, but the balance in the curve overall is also significantly better. Last year we had even more problems with unstable vehicle front when steering in.”
“To be honest, I thought of Australia that our performance was more of the route properties. But China is a completely different route with much longer curves. I thought that would be a big problem for us. But so far the car seems to be just as constant as in Australia. This is a big surprise.”
“I feel quite constant in both qualifying and the race, and the pace seems to be as strong as in Australia,” says Tsunoda. “Of course it is too early for a final judgment. Suzuka is again a completely different route. But so far our car seems to be really positive.”
With regard to the Grand Prix on Sunday, this means: “Points are in it. For both drivers,” Marko is convinced. And: “Yuki has fallen over his fourth, fifth place with the unfortunate race in Australia with the premature crash and the wrong box strategy. Maybe this can be made up here.”
For Hadjar, unlike in Melbourne, it will be important to do no stupidness and first master the start of dust. A discipline in which he has previously admitted that he has opened. In the F1 sprint it was “not ideal”, “there were a few problems,” he says. “But I know what I have to improve.” And he adds with a wink: “When I turn on my head, the start will be good.”