Mekies accepts Red Bull responsibility for Hadjar's Singapore troubles

A Sprint power loss and gearbox trouble in qualifying left Isack Hadjar starting the Singapore Grand Prix from the pit lane. After the race, Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies accepted responsibility, saying the team had not given Hadjar a chance to run competitively before Sunday's race. “So it's on us,” he said.

Hadjar lost power early in the Sprint and retired. Before qualifying, Red Bull changed his power unit for an older one from his pool; gearbox trouble in Q1 then stopped him from setting a lap time. The stewards granted him permission to start the Grand Prix, and he recovered from the pit lane to 10th, taking a late point from Pierre Gasly.

Mekies said the weekend brought problems with the power unit, gearbox and other glitches. Hadjar's mechanics and Max Verstappen's crew worked together on the car, changing major components up to parc fermé before the race. He praised the crews' turnaround, saying they delivered a faultless car on Sunday.

Mekies said the few laps Hadjar managed showed strong pace and suggested he might have been near the front. Red Bull, he said, had lost the chance to see that speed.