Hadjar collides with new Red Bull vehicle on second day of testing – sources
Isack Hadjar crashed Red Bull’s new Formula 1 vehicle on the second day of the private preseason test in Barcelona, sources have informed ESPN.
According to sources, Hadjar’s incident occurred late in the session during light rain, as the French driver lost control at the final corner and collided with the barriers side-on.
He had just transitioned from full wet tires to intermediates when the crash took place.
ESPN has learned that Hadjar concluded the day with 52 laps, while his teammate Max Verstappen managed 27 laps in the morning, which included a brief excursion across the gravel at Turn 5.
Red Bull has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding the Hadjar incident nor provided any details about the day’s events, leaving it uncertain whether the crash will affect the team’s plans for the remainder of the week.
Red Bull has participated in both days of the private test so far and can only run once more under the regulations of what F1 refers to as Shakedown Week, during which media and fans have been prohibited from attending.
Adverse weather conditions throughout the day meant that only Ferrari and Red Bull participated on the second day.
Hadjar, 21, is the latest driver to face the challenging role of being Verstappen’s teammate, having taken over from Yuki Tsunoda for the upcoming year.
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Hadjar was elevated to Red Bull following an exceptionally impressive rookie season with the company’s junior team, Racing Bulls.
This season featured his first F1 podium at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Red Bull is optimistic that Hadjar will address the ongoing challenges surrounding its second seat.
Since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure at the end of 2018, several drivers have faced difficulties alongside Verstappen—Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Pérez, Liam Lawson, and Tsunoda all left the team after experiencing a decline in performance.
With F1’s new regulations, Red Bull is embarking on an unprecedented new chapter, having concluded its title-winning partnership with Honda in favor of developing its own engines in collaboration with Ford.
This initiative, based at the team’s existing F1 facility in Milton Keynes, marks Red Bull’s transition into a fully-fledged manufacturer for the first time in its history in F1.
Source: espn.com
