Singapore GP sprint qualifying saw Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull RB22 vanish from the front after a promising start.
During the sole free‑practice session the Frenchman positioned himself fourth on hard rubber, outranging Max Verstappen, yet he was 0.7 seconds off when the track switched to the medium compound. Hadjar confirmed the car had been bottoming out, and on his last lap he reported an engine hiccup that impeded a final clear lap.
In the four‑lap Sprint Qualifying window, Hadjar began with a 0.7‑second gap to his teammate and narrowed it to 0.25 seconds for the final lap. His best 1:32.048 was 0.89 seconds behind Verstappen’s benchmark, a gap widened further when the Frenchman lost time placing over the track’s limit.
Speaking after the session, Hadjar said, “I don’t know.” He added that the soft‑tyre step‑up delivered more grip, but “it didn’t really matter…all the other guys are on the soft as well.” Hadjar admitted the car feels “drivable right now” and that he could not find pace, citing a strange disconnection from the vehicle.
He will line up ninth on the sprint start grid, with Verstappen on pole, while the Dutchman faces an investigation for an alleged overtaking under yellow flags.
On the track, Hadjar’s struggle emphasizes a broader issue for Red Bull new drivers, as the RB22’s handling woes seem to widen the intra‑team gap, leaving Hadjar’s sprint hopes uncertain.
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