Red Bull Racing Faces Unprecedented Turmoil at Japanese Grand Prix: Isack Hadjar Speaks Out!
In a shocking turn of events, Red Bull Racing finds itself spiraling into the depths of the Formula 1 midfield during the Japanese Grand Prix, a situation that has left both the team and its new star driver, Isack Hadjar, utterly perplexed. Despite high expectations, Hadjar is set to start from a disheartening eighth position, a staggering 1.2 seconds off the pace of polesitter Kimi Antonelli. But the real drama unfolds with four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who suffered a catastrophic exit from Q2, qualifying a shocking 11th. Verstappen himself has voiced serious concerns, declaring unequivocally that “there is something wrong” with the RB22, calling it “completely undriveable.”
This dismal performance follows a disastrous outing in China, where Red Bull failed to score any points in the sprint and managed a mere four points in the main race. Hadjar, who finished eighth, witnessed Verstappen’s retirement due to a mechanical failure, heightening the team's sense of urgency. Initially, the Melbourne opener had sparked hope, with Hadjar qualifying third before suffering an engine failure, while Verstappen claimed sixth. However, the events in Japan have made it painfully clear that the positive vibes from Australia were merely a fleeting illusion.
When pressed on whether the team has a grasp on the necessary direction to regain competitiveness, Hadjar’s response was stark: “No, not right now. What we are seeing this weekend makes no sense.” This stark admission echoes the tumultuous start to the 2025 season when the RB21 was notorious for its unpredictability, only finding form after mid-season upgrades brought Verstappen back into title contention.
The 2026 objective was clear: create a car that catered to both drivers, providing a more user-friendly experience instead of solely boosting Verstappen's performance. Yet the current reality is far from that vision. Instead of battling giants like Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren, Red Bull has found itself outpaced by teams like Alpine, Audi, and their own sister team, Racing Bulls.
“It was very hard to drive,” Hadjar lamented, drawing comparisons to last year's model. “I think last year's car was fast. It was hard to drive, but fast. Our car [in 2026] is hard to drive and slow, so we need more efficiency. Lap by lap, session by session, you always have to guess what you're going to get, so it's not nice to build up.”
The RB22's critical shortcoming lies in its balance, a crucial factor at Suzuka’s demanding high-speed corners. Hadjar candidly described the drastic changes in the car’s handling, stating, “It changed massively compared to FP3. On my first lap, I thought I was going to crash straight away. It was just sliding everywhere; I was barely turning the steering wheel.” Despite the chaos, Hadjar and the team managed to improve the situation, but the underlying issues remain glaring.
“We've got no load. That's it. It goes in one direction or the other very quickly,” Hadjar explained, emphasizing the frustrating unpredictability of the RB22’s setup. “Like I said, FP3 was the opposite balance. We go into quali, it's the other thing around.”
As the drama unfolds at Suzuka, all eyes will be on Red Bull Racing to see if they can pull themselves out of this quagmire or if they will continue to flounder in the shadows of the F1 elite. The stakes couldn't be higher for Hadjar and Verstappen as they strive not just for points, but for redemption in a season that has taken a bewildering turn.
