racingnews365.com·
Isack Hadjar handed '100% convinced' boost after stepping into 'different universe'
Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer has revealed that former Red Bull
advisor Helmut Marko was "100 per cent convinced" about Isack
Hadjar despite him leaping into the "different universe" that is
F1. Hadjar has come a long way in a short period after finishing
runner-up in the F2 championship just over 13 months ago. Promoted
initially into F1 with Racing Bulls, the French-Algerian driver
will serve as Max Verstappen's team-mate at Red Bull this year. It
was a run-out at Imola last January, however, that the team - then
run by Laurent Mekies before taking up the reins at Red Bull, and
with current Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane then serving as
racing director - recognised Hadjar as a talent. "If we go back to
January, looking at the data we had, and the initial meetings we
had with Isack, we certainly knew we had a young driver who was
extremely focused and extremely willing to work hard for his
success," said Bayer, speaking to RacingNews365 in an exclusive
interview at the end of last year. "But in that moment, you didn't
know if he would be able to take to the car, to the team, to the
pressure, everything. "That's because, and a lot of the juniors
have said this, that stepping up from F2 to F1 is a different
universe, not just a different planet. You're making a phenomenal
step in every regard. "I remember Alan and Laurent, when Isack was
running at Imola, they called me and said that there's something
there. So you see the bits and pieces. You put the puzzle together.
"As for Helmut, he was 100 per cent convinced that Isack is the new
talent. "Laurent and Alan, who are quite down to earth in their
assessments, sent positive signals. It was a rainy day in Imola,
and he [Hadjar] kept it on track. He was solid, he was consistent.
Everything pointed towards the right direction." 'Nothing to lose'
after Melbourne For Bayer, it was what then unfolded in the
aftermath of the Australian Grand Prix that, in his eyes, cemented
Hadjar's status as one for the future. On his F1 debut, Hadjar
suffered the worst possible start when he crashed out on the
formation lap in tricky conditions. Initially, and understandably
so, the then 20-year-old was distraught. To such an extent that
even Anthony Hamilton, father of seven-time F1 champion Lewis,
threw a consoling arm around the young driver's shoulders as he
trudged disconsolately down the Albert Park paddock, and offered
words of advice. Hadjar rebounded superbly, doing enough to go on
and secure a drive with Red Bull this season. "We went to
Melbourne, and we all know what happened in Melbourne," reflected
Bayer. "In a way, it was the whole pressure of one season on this
kid in one second. Why was it like that? Because it happened on the
formation lap. "If it had happened during the race, people would
have said, 'Okay, rookie mistake. First race, this is what
happens', and then 20 seconds later, the cameras would move on,
back to the race, and nobody would think of Isack anymore. "But
because this happened on the formation lap, they had to abort the
start, and the whole world kept watching Isack for five minutes. "I
think, to a certain extent, all the pressure was gone. It was such
a low moment that he probably thought, 'Okay, that's it. I've got
nothing more to lose. All I can do now is work hard and focus', and
that's what he did."
