Isack Hadjar Demands Red Bull Fix 'Way Too Complicated' Start Procedure

Isack Hadjar has delivered a blunt message to Red Bull after another poor getaway at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, insisting the team must simplify a start procedure he says demands impossible precision. Having fallen out of the top ten from row three, the Frenchman revealed he stalled twice during practice starts across the weekend and declared, "I'm not a computer."

Why it matters:

Race starts have emerged as a critical weakness for Red Bull at a time when the team cannot afford to surrender positions. With Max Verstappen also struggling off the line in Monaco and the outfit already trailing Ferrari and Mercedes on raw pace, operational errors are compounding a competitive deficit. Hadjar's public frustration suggests the issue runs deeper than simple driver error.

The details:

• Hadjar described his Barcelona launch as the worst of six practice attempts over the weekend, having stalled twice in practice — an issue he said never occurred previously this season.
• He argued the procedure is "way too complicated," stating, "I'm not a computer, I'm not a machine. I can't be 0.0001 per cent precise."
• Verstappen suffered similar issues in Monaco, failing to get away cleanly from the front row, pointing to a team-wide problem rather than an isolated mistake.
• After climbing back to sixth, Hadjar admitted Red Bull lacks performance at "higher speed" versus rivals, leaving them unable to challenge for podiums once midfield traffic was cleared.
• Verstappen finished as the lead Red Bull in fourth, but 40 seconds adrift of Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari, underscoring the scale of the gap the team must close.

What's next:

Red Bull aims to steady the ship at its home race in Austria, where Verstappen has historically thrived with four victories at the Red Bull Ring. Hadjar is hopeful for a cleaner weekend, but unless the team can streamline its launch systems and unlock higher-speed pace, their climb back toward the front could remain stalled.