Hadjar fourth as a string of problems holds Verstappen back

Isack Hadjar’s return has now produced a result: fourth in qualifying, the Frenchman put his Red Bull ahead of Max Verstappen’s, which was only eighth. Hadjar says he gradually built up his pace over the weekend without taking excessive risks while his wrist continues to recover. He even believes he did not extract his full potential in Q3.

Verstappen describes a very different session. According to him, his car was already losing around half a second on the straights compared with his teammate’s, with no explanation identified. In Q3, an insufficiently charged battery then forced him to abandon an attempt, causing his tyre temperatures to drop. His final lap was also disrupted by a yellow flag triggered by Norris.

The Dutchman does not claim he would have beaten Russell, but believes second place was within reach. His position therefore cannot sum up Red Bull’s performance: Hadjar shows the potential available, while Verstappen points to operational problems the team needs to understand.