Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing driver, has expressed his disappointment regarding the sprint races after a difficult experience during the Singapore Grand Prix. His performance at the Marina Bay circuit was marked by multiple technical issues and shortcomings in vehicle performance, which has changed his attitude towards this competition format.
During the weekend, Hadjar began with difficulties as his car suffered from excessive bouncing, especially in braking zones. In the sprint qualifying edition, despite making it to the third round (SQ3), he commented that he could not achieve a good lap time due to a lack of vehicle control.
His problems escalated with a power unit failure during the sprint race and a mechanical issue that affected the fourth gear during the main qualifying session. In the long race, he finished in tenth position, although he experienced more difficulties with his car’s power system.
Hadjar pointed out that the limitation to a single practice session, instead of the usual three, made it very complicated to adjust his vehicle. ‘The problem is that on these weekends you don’t have the opportunity to work on the car,’ he lamented. ‘For us, it’s really important to be able to test. The lack of time for adjustment has a negative psychological effect. The car wasn’t working as we expected, and I didn’t have the opportunity to test and see if the changes helped.’
The driver shared his disappointment with the sprint format, stating that while it can create an exciting dynamic for spectators, it is not beneficial for him as a driver. ‘I think it can reward those who don’t work properly, and that can be problematic,’ he noted, hinting that the format requires a reconsideration of the values of competition.
Unfortunately, the situation complicates for Hadjar as the number of sprint races will increase from six to ten for the 2027 season. ‘I don’t know who makes these decisions,’ he concluded. ‘Next year we will have a sprint race in Monaco, and I wonder how that is expected to work.’
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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