Hadjar told Red Bull his car’s performance was “embarrassing” and “just c***” | Formula 1

Published On 10/03/2026 » 12 Views» Sports
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Isack Hadjar slated his Red Bull power unit as he suffered a series of problems from the start of the Australian Grand Prix before retiring on lap 11.

Red Bull’s new driver looked poised to take the lead moments after the start before being struck by the beginnings of a power unit problem which soon forced him out.

Hadjar’s race engineer Richard Wood instructed him to “hit pre-start early” before the race began to ensure he had as much power as possible. But as his RB22’s acceleration dipped on the run to turn one Hadjar told Wood he had “no power”.

The frustration levels in the cockpit of car number six only rose from then on. “Lift off when you can, keep your head down, lift off when you can,” Wood urged. “There’s something really wrong,” Hadjar replied, warning him before the first lap ended he feared the engine would fail.

Over the remainder of their short race, Wood repeatedly advised Hadjar on where to lift off the throttle to improve the power unit’s energy recovery. After Andrea Kimi Antonelli passed him easily on lap six the team tried a different technique, but it didn’t seem to improve the problem.

On lap 11 Hadjar’s power unit finally cried enough and he came to a stop in a cloud of smoke approaching turn nine. “I don’t know what to say,” he remarked. “That was just crap, like, honestly.”

Isack Hadjar’s radio transcript from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix

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“There’s something really wrong”

Lap: 1/58 HAD: 1’36.046
Wood Isack we need to hit pre-start early, so during the blue lights, pre-start please.
Hadjar Turn two
No power.
Wood Okay we’re checking, we’re checking. The lift-off is…
Hadjar Approaching turn three
Engine [unclear]
Wood Okay, lift off when you can, keep your head down, lift off when you can.
Hadjar There’s something really wrong.
Wood Keep going, keep going, we’re looking into it.
Wood Fail, zero one fail, fail zero one fail.
Hadjar The engine going to ex-[cuts out].
Wood Keep going, SOC’s coming up.
Lap: 2/58 HAD: 1’25.556
Hadjar We need to maximise the lift-off or something, tell me!
Wood You’re doing the right thing so lift-off turn six, lift-off, turn six.
Hadjar [Unclear]
Wood Isack, good job. Just lift off into one, three and six to help the situation. Lift off one, three and six. Good job.
Lap: 3/58 HAD: 1’25.342
Hadjar I don’t see how we’re going to finish this race, mate.
Wood Okay so the problem is the SOC, the SOC is coming back to us, it is going to come back to us. Okay, we are monitoring it, I’ll come back to you.
Hadjar And shift [unclear] as well, help me.
Wood Okay, all speed ranges?
Wood Engine 11, position 12. Engine 11 position 12. The sequence is coming back to us mate. Keep your head down.

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“That’s embarrassing, mate”

Lap: 4/58 HAD: 1’25.355
Wood Engine 10 position three. Engine 10, position three. We are happy with the reliability of the engine.
Lap: 5/58 HAD: 1’25.879
Hadjar How much lift-off?
Wood Doing a good job as it is.
Hadjar Yeah, but can I get away with some more?
Wood No, same level. Same level. We are already maximising recovery, same level is good.
Hadjar Same level as what? I’m doing [unclear].
Wood Okay, so we can cancel lift-off turn three, next lap. Cancel lift-off turn three next lap.
Wood Car behind is Antonelli.
Lap: 6/58 HAD: 1’25.445
Hadjar Antonelli cruises past Hadjar into turn nine
That’s embarrassing, mate!
Wood Yeah, the deployment will improve, it’s going to improve.
Wood It’s a long race mate, head down, it’s going to come back to us.

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“You’ll get more energy to turn nine”

Lap: 7/58 HAD: 1’25.445
Hadjar Can we [unclear] please? In turn one, like I don’t need, lift-off in turn one.
Wood So the SOC is adapting, it is adapting. You’ll get more energy to turn nine.
Hadjar Come on! Mate, it’s worse every lap. It’s adapting backwards, come on.
Wood Isack, it is coming towards us. Just keep your head down, keep your head down, it’s doing it, head down.
Wood I see your TDIF, it’s coming towards you, just keep your head down.
Lap: 9/58 HAD: 1’25.239
Hadjar You need to give me more…
Wood [Interrupts] Can I have a balance update, balance update.
Wood Yeah, tyres okay.
Wood Copy.
Wood Engine 11, position 13. Engine 11 position 13, bigger lift turn three.
Lap: 10/58 HAD: 1’25.363
Hadjar Come on man, you told me not to turn three.
Wood Yeah, it’s a new recommendation, it is a new recommendation.
Hadjar Yeah, yeah.
Wood So the lift in turn three is the best thing we can do to help turn nine.

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“That was just crap”

Lap: 11/58
Wood And lift into turn six as well, bigger lift turn six as well.
Hadjar Hadjar’s engine revs high, then goes quiet
Oh, come on! Oh, it’s broken. Everything.
Wood Okay, copy.
Hadjar Yeah, less power steering, less everything.
Hadjar [Unclear]
Wood So no shifting and pull off the track when you first can.
Hadjar Yeah…
Hadjar Oh, yeah, I don’t know what to say. That was like, that was just crap, like, honestly.
Wood Yeah, okay, Isack. We’ll debrief out of the car.

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