Isack Hadjar Highlights Racing Bulls' Kerb-Riding Issue After Mexico GP Qualifying

Isack Hadjar expressed frustration over a qualifying mistake at the Mexico Grand Prix, despite believing he 'maxed out' his Racing Bulls car's potential. He pointed to the car's significant kerb-riding issues as a major flaw.

Why it matters:

Hadjar's candid assessment of the Racing Bulls' weaknesses, particularly in a crucial area like kerb-riding, offers insight into the team's ongoing challenges. His ability to still secure a strong qualifying position despite these limitations highlights his talent while underscoring the work needed to make the car consistently competitive.

The Details:

• Hadjar surprisingly topped Q1 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, narrowly beating Lewis Hamilton by 0.003s.
• He struggled to improve his lap time in Q2 but managed to scrape into Q3 by just 0.012s over Yuki Tsunoda.
• In Q3, Hadjar gained half a second, qualifying ninth, which will convert to eighth on the grid after Carlos Sainz's five-place penalty.
• Despite the strong result, Hadjar felt "pissed" about a mistake that cost him further improvement, noting that top teams find more performance through qualifying while Racing Bulls does not.
• Car Weakness: Hadjar explicitly stated, "the main issues we have with our car, it's just the kerb-riding, it's just poor." He described it as a compromise between 'load' and 'compliance.'
• Team Turnaround: He praised the team's ability to make "all the right calls" between Friday and Saturday, significantly improving the car's speed within two sessions.

Between the lines:

Hadjar's comments about the car's kerb-riding issues suggest a fundamental setup or design challenge that impacts performance, especially on circuits with aggressive kerbs like Mexico. This limitation forces drivers to compromise, potentially giving up lap time to maintain control. While the team showed a strong ability to adapt the car during the weekend, this underlying issue points to a deeper engineering hurdle that needs to be addressed for consistent top-tier performance.

What's next:

Hadjar is frustrated with his consistent grid position on the 'dirty' side of the track, having started from there in seven of the last nine races. Despite this, he remains optimistic for the race, anticipating potential chaos at Turn 1 where he hopes to capitalize on opportunities. His performance in the race, particularly how he manages the car's kerb-riding limitations and navigates the start, will be a key indicator of his and the team's immediate potential.