Hadjar calls Red Bull starts ‘shocking’ after Silverstone Sprint setback

Hadjar frustrated as Red Bull’s starts unravel at Silverstone

Isack Hadjar has delivered a blunt assessment of Red Bull’s launch problems after both he and Max Verstappen lost ground at the start of Saturday’s sprint race at Silverstone.

The result was particularly painful for Hadjar, who crossed the line ninth, just outside the points. In a sprint format where track position carries even greater weight, losing places in the opening metres left him fighting a recovery race almost before it had begun. For more on the wider Silverstone sprint picture, read our report on how Antonelli beat Hamilton to claim a frantic British GP Sprint win.

‘It’s the same story now’

“Those starts, it’s the same story now, it’s just annoying, guys. I know it’s going to be my fault again, I bet so,” Hadjar said.

That irritation had not faded by the time he climbed out of the car. Speaking to Viaplay, he suggested there was little value in entering a race if the team already expected to lose positions immediately.

“We can’t get starts,” Hadjar said. “We just don’t understand it.

“There is no point going to a race if you know you’re going to lose four places straight away.

“In my case, I lost even more than that. It’s shocking, all the time.”

Fine margins leave Hadjar outside the points

Hadjar’s afternoon was not defined only by the launch. He became involved in a late-race battle with Liam Lawson, who defended aggressively to stay ahead as Hadjar chased the final points-paying places.

The incident was referred to the stewards, who reviewed the matter and decided Lawson should receive a warning. That did not alter Hadjar’s finishing position, leaving him ninth and empty-handed after a race in which the opening phase had already done significant damage.

For Red Bull, the concern is clear from the evidence Hadjar presented: this is a repeated weakness, and it is costing both cars. At Silverstone, the lack of clean launches turned competitive starting positions into recovery drives, leaving Hadjar openly questioning the value of racing from a compromised start.