Coulthard expects Red Bull reprimand for Hadjar’s US GP radio call

Isack Hadjar’s strong United States Grand Prix weekend ended with a tense team-radio exchange, and former driver David Coulthard expects Red Bull to make clear that the rookie should have followed its instruction to let Max Verstappen through.

Hadjar started third but finished sixth after both Ferraris passed him at Turn 1. Red Bull’s decision to keep him out until lap 25 also left him behind Lando Norris, while throttle and radio problems added to his frustration during the second stint.

Verstappen’s fresher tyres brought a team-order call

Red Bull had taken different strategic paths with its drivers. Verstappen stopped on lap 13, and his fresher tyres brought him up to Hadjar. The team then told Hadjar to move aside at Turn 12.

Hadjar initially objected over the radio, saying he did not want to lose time and could not let his teammate through. Race engineer Richard Wood replied that the team had decided what it wanted them to do.

Verstappen eventually got past at Turn 15, but lost time while following Hadjar through the preceding slow corners. He later responded sarcastically to the pit wall’s strategy call, according to the source report.

Coulthard said the moment called for Hadjar to be reminded of the team’s expectations. He described the Frenchman as having delivered a strong weekend, but believed Red Bull would reprimand him for resisting the order. Coulthard also argued that Verstappen, a serial winner, understood how these exchanges should be handled.

Hadjar’s recent battle with Verstappen in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix had seen him play the team game. In Austin, however, Coulthard felt the young driver briefly put his own race ahead of Red Bull’s interests.

Hadjar’s pace was clear, but so was his frustration

The radio exchange came after an impressive qualifying performance: Hadjar was only four-hundredths of a second slower than Verstappen and secured a top-three qualifying result for the third time. Coulthard praised his pace but saw the emotional radio messages as a sign that he still has experience to gain.

That candid communication has been a feature of Hadjar’s radio calls, Coulthard noted. The episode also puts the spotlight on the working relationship between a driver and his engineer, a subject explored in our piece on the driver-engineer bond.

Verstappen was unhappy with the outcome too, despite finishing third. Red Bull’s 23-point haul brought it level with McLaren in the constructors’ standings. Hadjar’s deal has already been extended for the 2027 season, and Coulthard’s view is that the Austin disagreement should serve as a lesson rather than become a recurring argument.