Hadjar Slams 'Undriveable' RB22 After Frustrating Hungarian GP

Isack Hadjar held nothing back after the Hungarian Grand Prix, branding Red Bull's RB22 as effectively undriveable despite securing a hard-fought sixth place from eighth on the grid. The young Frenchman insisted the car never reached its operating window at the Hungaroring, leaving him more exasperated than encouraged by the final result.

Why it matters:

Red Bull has long thrived on producing adaptable, race-winning machinery, but the RB22 is testing that reputation. With both Hadjar and Max Verstappen airing strikingly similar complaints, the problems appear rooted in the car's fundamental design rather than individual setup preferences. For a team accustomed to fighting at the front, having two drivers openly criticize the machine signals a genuine development crisis that could derail their 2026 campaign.

The details:

• Hadjar revealed that finding a "sweet spot" eluded Red Bull all weekend, admitting the car simply "didn't come alive" despite pre-race optimism that the Hungaroring would suit the RB22.
• He identified downshifts as a particular sore point, delivering a sarcastic assessment that the situation had become "terrible" and represented a noticeable "step back" for the squad.
• A persistent lack of grip compounded the misery, forcing Hadjar to manage a car that felt uncooperative from start to finish.
• The 21-year-old admitted it was reassuring to hear Verstappen voice identical frustrations, suggesting the narrow gaps between them in qualifying reflect shared limitations rather than a driver deficit.
• Still, Hadjar singled out the opening race stint as the most frustrating element of his weekend and insisted he needs answers from the team.

What's next:

Red Bull departs Budapest with a podium and valuable points, yet the atmosphere suggests a team under mounting pressure. Verstappen himself confessed surprise at finishing second, while Hadjar openly questioned whether the RB22's deep-rooted flaws can be cured quickly. With the season approaching a critical phase, the defending champions face a narrowing window to correct their trajectory before their 2026 title hopes slip further out of reach.