Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony was one of the first to rush to console Isack Hadjar as he bawled following his crash on the formation lap before the Melbourne race
Isack Hadjar’s broken Racing Bulls F1 car after crashing on the formation lap ahead of the Australian Grand Prix
Isack Hadjar’s broken Racing Bulls F1 car after crashing on the formation lap ahead of the Australian
Rookie racer Isack Hadjar was left distraught after crashing before his first Formula 1 race even began.
The 20-year-old was set to make his F1 debut for Red Bull sister team Racing Bulls at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday. And the Frenchman impressed in qualifying by going 11th fastest – the highest finish of any of the handful of rookies on the grid this year.
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However, things quickly unravelled on Sunday when, in wet conditions, he lost control of his car on the formation lap. He buries the rear wing into a barrier and that was enough damage done to ensure he would not even start the race.
He was uninjured and quickly out of the car. But even under his racing helmet, Hadjar’s emotions were obvious as he held his head in his hands as a marshal consoled him while also guiding him off the track so he could return on foot to the paddock.
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As he did so, Anthony Hamilton – father of seven-time champion Lewis who was making his debut for Ferrari – made his way over to throw an arm of support around the youngster. F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali was another who personally checked in on him.
Commentating on the scenes, Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle explained how it had happened: “He was just trying to get a bit of temperature, wasn’t he? And a bit too much torque application. He’s crying his eyes out, I suspect. It’s a lifelong commitment – you’ve done karting, junior racing, the family sacrifices. He’s [finally] a Formula 1 driver and, boom, he’s had a very silly mistake.
