Hadjar urges Red Bull to fix radio and clutch problems after finishing sixth at US GP

Isack Hadjar has urged Red Bull to fix its radio and clutch problems after finishing sixth in the United States Grand Prix. He said resolving those two issues might have put him on the podium.

Hadjar said he struggled with balance and feel on Friday, but that the team turned things around in FP3 and had a good car in qualifying. He qualified third, 0.036 seconds behind team-mate Max Verstappen, who was second.

A poor launch put Hadjar behind both Ferraris, and he finished sixth with Lando Norris ahead. Hadjar said the race pace was good, but that the small details still needed to be nailed.

Hadjar said poor radio communication left him unsure what was happening, and described operating the clutch as a nightmare. He also pointed to radio issues affecting both cars and longer-running clutch and start problems.

After his pit stop and move to hard tyres, Hadjar said the car was stuck in its pit-stop throttle map, a setting he could not change once back on track. He said the drivability problem was present from the second lap. The hard-tyre pace was good, he added, and tyre choice was the least of his concerns.

Hadjar's result helped Red Bull move ahead of McLaren into third in the constructors' standings. Both teams had 355 points and two wins, but Red Bull led on countback with four second places to McLaren's two.