Hadjar blamed Charles Leclerc for missing a top-five finish in Las Vegas qualifying.
The Racing Bulls showed their competitiveness in Las Vegas, with both cars making it to Q3. However, for Isack Hadjar, the team could have achieved more if it weren’t for Charles Leclerc. Liam Lawson managed to take sixth place, while his teammate had to settle for eighth.
As the track dried, lap times were improving in the final stages of Q3, and Isack Hadjar needed one last fast lap to secure his position. But after setting his personal best in the first sector, he was forced to slow dramatically when he encountered Charles Leclerc finishing his own lap. For the French rookie, this cost him a chance at a top-five grid position for the Las Vegas GP.
While heading back to the pits at the end of Q3, Isack Hadjar radioed: “Why was there a yellow flag if there was nothing?” When his team confirmed that it was Ferrari that had caused the yellow, Hadjar vented: “Yeah, of course this guy ruined our session… oh my god, we were glued to him… Leclerc.”
Hadjar’s words
“It could have gone much better,” Isack Hadjar said after Las Vegas qualifying. “Honestly, so far this year we’ve only driven in the rain during races, with no visibility, so I’ve never really had a chance to experience driving an F1 car in wet conditions.”
“Today was the first time, and honestly, I really enjoyed it. We are fast, so I’m happy to have done my first F1 qualifying in the rain.”
Hadjar emphasized that Leclerc’s error cost him significant time, convinced that at least fifth place would have been possible if he had completed his final lap.
“At least fifth, looking at it there are already seven tenths just on the map,” the Frenchman said. “I was fifth, and if I had found more time, maybe even higher, but I should have done the lap earlier.”
“I mean, I slowed down because of the yellow flag, right, but obviously you can lift and continue. [Instead, Leclerc] braked, and I was right behind him.”
Commenting further on the incident, Hadjar revealed that the yellow flag had been removed by the time he reached the Monegasque who had slowed down. “I mean, for me yes [the flag wasn’t there], but not for him. He had slowed down a lot,” the rookie concluded.
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