F1 / NEWS & CONTEXT

Hadjar plans gradual Sepang build-up after Baku podium

Isack Hadjar says he will take his first race weekend at Sepang step by step, despite Red Bull’s double podium in Azerbaijan.

GPBeat · Newsroom01 Oct 2026, 18:26 · 1 min

Isack Hadjar plans to build up gradually through the weekend at Sepang, where he says he will race for the first time. In comments reported by RacingNews365 English on 1 October, the Red Bull driver said he would take the same step-by-step approach he used in Baku.

The circumstances are different this time. Hadjar had missed three races before returning in Azerbaijan, where he finished third behind team-mate Max Verstappen. He described getting both Red Bull cars on the podium as a “huge step” for the team.

Hadjar said Red Bull’s upgrades worked well in Baku, but cautioned that Sepang has a different layout. The team will have to see where it stands there.

Sources 01

SOURCEIsack Hadjar outlines repeat Red Bull plan after 'huge step'RacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-10-01

Source context

RacingNews365 English reported Hadjar’s comments ahead of Sepang on 1 October 2026.

Claims and supporting evidence 5

According to RacingNews365, Hadjar intends to build up through the weekend step by step, as he did in Baku. He gives his first time racing at Sepang as the reason for that approach.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Hadjar's stated plan for the upcoming Sepang weekend Ahead of the Sepang round, in remarks reported on 2026-10-01. This is Hadjar's stated intention, not an observed outcome. RacingNews365 is the only retrieved account of the remarks.

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RacingNews365 says Hadjar's gradual approach in Baku followed a lack of recent driving after injury. Hadjar says he had missed three races before returning there.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Why the similar approach has a different context The Baku return and the three preceding missed races, as reported on 2026-10-01. The explanation of his Baku approach comes from RacingNews365's account; the number of missed races also appears in the remarks it attributes to Hadjar.

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RacingNews365 reports that Verstappen finished second and Hadjar third in Azerbaijan. Hadjar described getting both Red Bull cars on the podium as a 'huge step' for the team.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Baku result and Hadjar's assessment Azerbaijan Grand Prix, before the upcoming Sepang round. The finishing positions are reported by the sole retrieved publication. 'Huge step' is Hadjar's assessment, not an independently measured improvement.

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Hadjar said the upgrades worked well in Baku, but cautioned that Sepang's different layout leaves the team's standing there uncertain.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Limit on expectations for Sepang Ahead of the Sepang round, looking back at Baku. The upgrades' performance is Hadjar's assessment; the passage supplies no measured Sepang result or prediction of one.

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The retrieved page uses the designation 'Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia' and separately places the upcoming round at the Sepang International Circuit. Its precise Grand Prix designation remains uncertain on this evidence.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Identification of the upcoming event Upcoming round discussed in the 2026-10-01 report. No second retrieved source resolves the unusual event name; this does not affect the attribution of Hadjar's Sepang comments.

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This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.