Hadjar admits Red Bull criticism went too far after Austin

Isack Hadjar says he spoke too emotionally after the United States Grand Prix, admitting that some of his criticism of Red Bull should have remained private. But the Frenchman has not withdrawn his central points: the team could have considered its strategy options more openly, and its inconsistent starts remain a problem.

Speaking to media in Mexico on Friday, October 30, Hadjar said he had not fully considered how his post-race remarks would come across. He added that drivers should be honest about the team’s performance, while accepting that he could have chosen his words more carefully.

His comments followed a difficult weekend in Austin, where both Hadjar and Max Verstappen were unhappy with Red Bull’s execution. Hadjar was also hampered by radio issues and a poor start, problems he said had affected the team for some time.

Red Bull’s one-stop option was not given enough consideration

After reviewing the Texas weekend, Red Bull concluded that its strategy could have been better. Hadjar said the team had placed too much confidence in the softer tyre and may have overestimated how quickly it would wear, making the race harder to manage.

That choice also contributed to confusion over a request for Hadjar to let Verstappen past. Hadjar did not move aside immediately on the straight towards Turn 12, but said the delay was not deliberate. He was reluctant to pit early because he felt he had good pace on the soft tyre, while also recognising the need to avoid costing Verstappen time on a different strategy.

Hadjar said a one-stop plan for both cars would have made the situation clearer. The debate adds to other Red Bull strategy questions involving Verstappen.

Start problems remain a work in progress

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has said that fully fixing the start issue requires hardware changes that cannot be made this year. Hadjar said the team has improved compared with the opening races, but its starts have since become inconsistent again. For now, he said, Red Bull must work with the equipment available through the end of the season.

He was careful not to dismiss the issues as trivial. Hadjar said Red Bull is already capable of being quick on track, but still needs to improve important details that are not going well.

Hadjar’s relationship with the team has also been covered in his comments about returning to the car, although his latest remarks focused on what Red Bull must address after Austin.