Hadjar’s ‘Super Painful’ Mystery Rocks Racing Bulls

Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar endured a frustrating Belgian Grand Prix, hampered by a mysterious car problem that slashed his pace and left him trailing far behind teammate Liam Lawson.

The French-Algerian driver, in his debut Formula 1 season, started the Spa-Francorchamps race with high hopes but quickly sensed something was off. Over team radio, Hadjar voiced his doubts about his own performance, admitting he felt like he was “driving like shit.” His race engineer, however, delivered a stark apology, explaining the car was dropping around a second per lap on the straights due to an unidentified issue.

This setback plagued Hadjar for most of the 44-lap event, turning what could have been a competitive outing into a battle for survival. While Lawson navigated the tricky conditions to secure eighth place and valuable points, Hadjar limped home well outside the top 10, marking another tough chapter in his learning curve with the Red Bull sister team.

Post-race, Hadjar reflected on the ordeal, calling it a harsh blow but praising the squad’s efforts to diagnose the fault. “We had this problem right through the race, costing me serious time,” he said. “It’s disappointing, but we’ll dig into it and come back stronger.”

The incident adds to the challenges for Racing Bulls this year, as they chase midfield consistency amid a fiercely contested 2025 championship led by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who claimed victory at the Belgian round.