Hadjar rues first Q3 run despite Austin recovery

Isack Hadjar recovered from what he called “a disaster of a weekend” to take third in United States Grand Prix qualifying. He said the turnaround was satisfying, but his first Q3 run remained his main disappointment; he believed he had a shot at the front row.

During practice, Hadjar struggled with balance and comfort in the RB22 and was well off Max Verstappen’s pace on Friday. He said he could not complete a single lap on soft tyres in FP3, even though the car sometimes felt comfortable for half a lap.

Hadjar credited Red Bull’s set-up work for helping turn the weekend around. The team tried many different things, he said, and the car came alive “a bit more” for him in qualifying. He was 0.036 seconds behind Verstappen, with both Red Bull drivers setting their fastest Q3 laps on their first runs.

Hadjar said a strong tailwind on his first attempt cost him significant time. He also acknowledged that his final lap was not great, but said track conditions had worsened for everyone by then.

Ahead of the race, Hadjar saw a potential strategic advantage in Red Bull having two cars against Kimi Antonelli’s lone Mercedes, and said the team would try to use it.