Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar secured his first Formula 1 podium in Monaco after Pierre Gasly’s pit‑lane speeding penalty promoted him to third, the race’s most unexpected final stand‑still.
Monaco’s chaotic sprint to the check‑ered flag
First place went to Kimi Antonelli, marking his fifth consecutive grand‑prix win this season. Lewis Hamilton finished second, gaining a vital point over George Russell to climb the drivers’ standings. Hadjar’s third‑place finish, achieved from a fourth‑place on‑track status, crowned him as the last‑minute podium‑holder.
Hadjar’s drive and the stewards’ ride‑through
Brundle praised Hadjar’s resilient performance, noting the driver had to tolerate a power‑unit glitch, frequent radio frustrations and two stewards’ probes into potential safety‑car violations and disallowed work during a red‑flag pause. Despite these challenges, the French‑Algerian pushed hard enough to keep his car in contention until the roadside penalty altered the order.
Post‑race remarks from Hadjar stressed the personal significance of the result. He admitted the weekend began poorly, expressing diminished confidence during Friday practice. “Finishing on the podium felt right after the pitfalls I endured,” he said, reflecting on how the effort outweighed the doubts that lay in FP2 and FP3.
His podium places him eighth in the drivers’ championship, trailing only four‑time champion Max Verstappen who sits at 29 points. Hadjar’s promotion to Red Bull for 2026 signals the team’s intent to position him alongside Verstappen amid a highly competitive grid.
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