?Can you imagine being sidelined before the race? Hadjar was left fuming after a cascade of mechanical glitches ruined his Saturday, condemning him to a back‑row start for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.
A track‑limits breach forced the Red Bull rookie to line up ninth for the sprint, but a power‑unit failure saw him retire after just two laps.
The Austrian team managed a provisional fix on the RB22 for qualifying, yet a broken fourth gear stopped Hadjar from setting a time, dumping him out of Q1.
The setbacks add to a string of failures for the 22‑year‑old, who also suffered a battery issue that dropped him to fifth in last weekend’s Sepang race.
He said he’s absolutely furious and just wants to get behind the wheel.
His sprint retirement sparked online buzz as he careened into Turn 5’s escape road, stopping near the Marina Bay paddock entrance.
Hadjar added he halted for safety, unsure where the safest spot was.
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
He described the incident as a disaster, saying the car caught fire and he could have stayed in Paris with the same outcome.
In my view, the team’s reliability woes are stealing precious points, especially as teammate Max Verstappen swept both the Sepang Grand Prix and the Singapore sprint from pole.
Verstappen will also line up on pole for Sunday’s race, proving the RB22 has speed, but Hadjar hasn’t been able to tap it.
He believes the sprint‑only format hurts him, with only one practice session limiting the team’s ability to adjust under parc‑fermé rules.
The Frenchman warned that such weekends leave drivers without the chance to work on the car, making success feel like sheer luck.
He lamented the lack of testing, calling the car’s handling terrible and unentertaining for viewers.
Hadjar had been eager to see how a functional engine would perform, but the weekend offered no learning opportunity.
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– The Team