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F1
Hadjar spirit: The 'ninja' of F1 in his own words
At 20, Isack Hadjar has swiftly gone from rising name to major focus in Formula One. We spoke with the Racing Bulls 'ninja' as he cements his reputation in his debut season.
After his first Formula One podium, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls rookie driver Isack Hadjar celebrated so hard he broke the trophy – an ornate Dutch vase. His third-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort was a breakthrough for the 20-year-old French driver. While much of the season's hype has focused on other rookies like Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman, Hadjar had been steadily flying under the radar until Zandvoort.
So, who is this quiet tactician who prefers to let his driving do the talking? The Red Bulletin caught up with the rising talent mid-season to hear from the 'ninja' himself.
Hadjar in relaxed mode away from the track
© Liam Fabre
The F1 season and the life of a driver are so hectic with so many demands and elements outside of the driving. How do you switch into race mode and stay focussed for a Grand Prix?
People say that all of Rafa Nadal's tics before a serve allow him to reset and forget what just happened in the match. Do you have similar tricks once you're in the car?
I can't actually touch much aside from my steering wheel and trying not to crash, so no.
Conversely, how do you manage to disconnect from everything. Meditation? Gaming? Movies? Reading?
I just need to be around a table with my friends and a nice cup of local tea, you know. We chat. That's what I need: my entourage, tea and that's basically it.
Man and machine as one
© Liam Fabre
The car's engine starts and your whole body, all your senses, are fully alert
Let's talk fitness. Has your routine changed in recent months?
It's really complicated to train. You travel too much and it's rare to be in the same place for three days. And on race weekends, you can't train. You have to train, but for what? You'll get even more tired, even though you have to stay in shape. In fact, all season long, you're trying to maintain your fitness and it's only in winter or the summer break that you can really push yourself. So, during the vacation, your only vacation, you have to do physical training, even if you don't want to do it!
It's really complicated to train. You travel too much and it's rare to be in the same place for three days
And boxing? You used to do that when you were younger, so do you still put on gloves?
I try to do my best.
More about Isack Hadjar and the Red Bull F1 drivers
Do you still have a fighter's spirit?
Since I was born. Since day one.
Hadjar has been a keen boxer since he was young
© Liam Fabre
Football is another of Hadjar's favourite sports
© Liam Fabre
Do you still follow combat sports?
Absolutely, especially MMA. I follow everything that's going on and the big boxing matches as well. I follow it all.
Do you find the time for that?
I'll wake up at 5am on race weekends to watch a fight when I have to be at the track at 10am.
Does that give you motivation?
When you get up at 5am to see your favorite fighter get knocked out, it's hard. That's heartbreaking. Then, you go back to sleep, because you know it's going to be a complicated day!
Since the start of this debut season in F1, in which areas have you improved most?
I would say my adaptation to circuits and getting up to speed early. I'm much more explosive than at the beginning of the season. I arrive at a track and after two or three laps, I'm already on it now.
I can give the example of Silverstone, where in free practice I was fastest for a while, even though I'm not in the McLaren. I'm quite explosive now. I get into action very quickly and that allows me to focus on the car's setup rather than thinking, 'I'm missing five tenths here, three tenths there'. That's where you lose time, whereas if you're on the pace from the first laps, your weekend starts to unfold better.
What areas still need improvement?
Honestly, I don't personally think that I have one strong point and one weak point. It's the overall package that needs improvement and that come with the experience that I'm gaining in every race.
What have you found yourself mastering easier than you perhaps thought?
What scared me before the start of the season was that I didn't have much experience in F1. It was a huge step up from F2 and I had thoughts like, 'How many races will it take me to get into the swing of things, to no longer be two or three 10ths of a second behind my team-mate?' In the end that was never the case, so I'd say pure speed.
Hadjar has gone about his debut F1 season with a quiet confidence
© Liam Fabre
I'm much more explosive than at the beginning of the season. I arrive at a track and after two or three laps, I'm already on it now
What's been the biggest scare?
Before qualifying in Monaco, I wasn't feeling well. In the morning, I'd done a practice session, I was 17th and I had no confidence. Right then it was tough, but not really a scare, more anxiety. I went to qualifing a little anxious because I told myself, 'There's no way I'm going to have a bad weekend at home and not be at least in the top 10.' In the end, I had my best weekend of the year to that point, so it worked out.
Your biggest break?
I would say my week in Japan at the end of March. I arrived a week before the race, landed solo in Tokyo and I had no commitments, no media, nothing! I won't tell you in detail what I did, but I had friends there and it was excellent.
Your fanbase on Instagram or elsewhere give you a lot of support and positivity, which isn't necessarily the case for all athletes. How important is that to you?
The haters will come at one point or another, they come out of nowhere and for no reason. The fans who are behind me and who follow me, it really touches me, but you also have to be prepared for the opposite. I hope to have a long career and I think that all the athletes who have performed, who have won titles, have all gone through moments where they are hated and insulted. In any case, all this love that I receive, I savour it to the max right now.
The full interview with Isack Hadjar is published in The Red Bulletin France September issue.
