Isack Hadjar received a text message from his ‘idol’ Lewis Hamilton after crashing out of the Australian Grand Prix on the formation lap last weekend. The French-Algerian driver enjoyed a strong qualifying session at the Albert Park Circuit, setting up a P10 grid slot.
However, on his way to a rain-soaked starting grid, the 20-year-old lost control of his Racing Bulls machine and crashed on the exit of Turn Two, bringing his F1 debut to a premature and heartbreaking end. Hadjar’s crash led to an outpouring of emotions. The Racing Bulls driver had his hands inside his visor, wiping away tears, as he trudged back through the paddock to the team’s motorhome.
Hadjar quickly received support, though. Anthony Hamilton, father of seven-time world champion Lewis, stopped the Racing Bulls driver and hugged him in the paddock, giving the rookie some advice. He later followed up and visited him in the team’s hospitality unit.
“He said it reminded him of Lewis parking the car in the pit entry in Shanghai,” Hadjar explained ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. “It was a nice moment sharing time with someone like Anthony. Obviously, the dad of my idol. It was quite a special moment, and Lewis sent me a message later that day. Really classy guys.”
Not everyone within the paddock was so supportive. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko spoke to ORF about the incident, noting: “Isack Hadjar did a little bit of crying after his crash. That was a bit embarrassing.”
Addressing the comments, which are not out of character for the outspoken Marko, Hadjar did not take too much concern. “I found it embarrassing myself,” he said. “You know Helmut.
“I had him on the phone a day later. It’s all good. I’ve known him for a few years now. I know how he works and also another point, I think he was speaking German. It was re-interpreted differently. You don’t know about the body language.
“I haven’t seen the footage. I can’t say much, but apart from that, all of the love from the fans and the people, I didn’t expect that at all when I binned it in the wall, so that was nice.”
