The French driver Isack Hadjar has received a formal warning from the Mexican Grand Prix stewards for an incident that occurred in the Formula 1 paddock before the first practice session. The action took place at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Friday.
According to available information, Hadjar was called in for an alleged “inappropriate conduct” incident after an interaction with a fan who was trying to take a picture with him. The driver was in a hurry when, upon stopping for the photo, he was pushed by the fan on two occasions, which constituted a violation of Article 12.2.1.l of the International Sporting Code.
In their report, the stewards stated that they heard Hadjar’s version and that of his team, as well as reviewing video evidence. The driver explained that he tried to stop for a photo with a young fan when a paddock guest approached aggressively.
According to the report, the security present could not prevent the invasion of Hadjar’s personal space. Initially, the driver attempted to contain the fan by placing his hand on his waist, but ultimately ended up pushing him with his right hand, an action deemed a violation of the rules. The stewards considered several factors to mitigate his penalty.
Among these, it was considered that Hadjar was reacting to an uninvited action, that he needed to make his way to the practice session in a crowded area, and that there was not enough security present at the time.
Friday was a complicated day for Hadjar, who finished in a disappointing 11th position during the first practice session, 1.417 seconds off the fastest time set by Charles Leclerc. Due to issues with the power unit, he was only able to complete 21 laps, one of the lowest figures of the day.
However, his performances slightly improved during the second practice session, where he managed to finish sixth, 0.410 seconds off Leclerc, who once again was the fastest. His teammate Max Verstappen finished in fifth place.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI