Isack Hadjar lost his composure during the Japanese Grand Prix, visibly frustrated by a tense battle with Arvid Lindblad.
Isack Hadjar crossed the line in 12th place at Suzuka, ending a race that had started with promise but slipped away as he fell out of the points.
Over at Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson had a strong weekend, finishing ninth and bringing home points. Arvid Lindblad ended up in 14th but still managed to turn heads with his performance.
Lindblad received more praise than Lawson despite having a worse result than his teammate. But he also managed to frustrate his Racing Bulls predecessor during the race.
While Red Bull will be more preoccupied with the possibility of Max Verstappen retiring, the performance and outburst from Hadjar should also concern them.
Isack Hadjar couldn’t keep his emotions in check against Arvid Lindblad
There were a few moments early on during the Japanese Grand Prix when Isack Hadjar found himself stuck behind Arvid Lindblad, trying to find a way through.
But each time he tried, Lindblad held him off with some clever, if risky, defending. That left Hadjar more than a little frustrated, and he didn’t hold back his feelings over the team radio.
He repeatedly vented to his race engineer about Lindblad’s driving: “What the f— is he doing? He’s moving like that!… Come on, man, you can’t f—— do that… What the f— man? Stop f—— moving!”
The repeated outbursts gave the impression he isn’t quite ready for the expectations that come with being Red Bull’s second driver.
Hadjar getting worked up so early in a race, especially by a rookie from Racing Bulls and struggling to adapt to life at Red Bull, was not what fans wanted to see from him.
Some supporters might point out that Verstappen has had similar moments of frustration over the years. But given his track record, four championships and one of the most successful drivers on the grid, Verstappen has earned some leeway.
Hadjar is still under plenty of pressure at Red Bull. But so far this season, it’s clear he hasn’t found the right way to deal with it yet.
Arvid Lindblad starting to look like Red Bull’s long-term play
Arvid Lindblad handled the situation well from his side of the battle. While he couldn’t keep Hadjar behind for the entire race, his composure and defensive moves stood out.
Lindblad has had a strong start with Racing Bulls and is already looking like a genuine prospect for Red Bull down the line. But that early promise also comes with a warning.
Red Bull’s recent approach of fast-tracking young drivers into the seat next to Max Verstappen hasn’t worked out well since Sergio Perez left.
Liam Lawson was moved back down after struggling in that spot, and Yuki Tsunoda didn’t find much success either, despite his added experience.
Hadjar’s current issues should be another sign that promoting someone too soon can backfire.
Lindblad clearly has potential, but if Red Bull were to bring him up too early, especially if Verstappen leaves, it could hurt his progress more than help it.
The team needs to learn from what happened with Lawson and Hadjar by giving Lindblad time to develop properly before throwing him into a high-pressure role he might not be ready for yet.
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