At Albert Park in Melbourne on Saturday, Isack Hadjar delivered one of the standout moments of qualifying for the 2026 Formula 1 season opener. The 21-year-old secured third place on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix in his first qualifying session as a Red Bull Racing driver.
The result came after a dramatic setback for the team when four-time champion Max Verstappen crashed at Turn 1 during Q1 and failed to record a competitive lap. With Verstappen out, Hadjar carried Red Bull’s entire qualifying effort and produced a lap strong enough to start behind only the Mercedes pair.
Hadjar’s final time of 1:19.303 placed him 0.785 seconds behind pole-sitter George Russell and just 0.024 seconds ahead of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc in fourth.
The result marked a striking debut qualifying session for Hadjar with Red Bull, according to comments and timing information provided in the session coverage.
Hadjar delivered under sudden, enormous pressure
The mood inside the Red Bull garage shifted within seconds early in Q1. Verstappen’s car hit the barriers at Turn 1 on his first flying lap, bringing out a red flag and ending his session immediately.
The crash left the team without its leading driver and raised fears about reliability issues that had shadowed the weekend. Suddenly, Hadjar stood alone as the team’s only chance of salvaging a strong grid position.
For a driver in his second full Formula 1 season, the pressure was significant. Isack Hadjar had already faced a difficult Friday as he adjusted to the Red Bull car in the all-new 2026 regulation set.
After the practice sessions, he said the car felt inconsistent and that energy deployment problems forced him to change braking points through the lap. He called the sessions “very messy” but said the team expected some early problems and believed they could fix them.
His calm tone on Friday proved important. By Saturday afternoon, Hadjar translated that approach into a clean and decisive qualifying performance.
How the qualifying unfolded
Hadjar showed early pace in Q1. He finished the segment within the top group, about six-tenths of a second behind Russell’s benchmark lap near the front of the field.
The time signalled a clear step forward from Friday’s practice runs. It also showed that the team had improved the car setup overnight.
Q2 produced another steady performance. Hadjar advanced comfortably despite a chaotic segment that saw several established drivers struggle to string together clean laps. Racing Bulls drivers Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson also impressed by reaching Q3.
The final shootout began only after two unusual delays. Officials first paused the session after a pit-lane incident involving Lindblad. Another interruption followed when cooling fans from Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s car fell onto the circuit.
Once the session resumed, Hadjar remained close to the front. In the early runs, he sat just behind Lando Norris.
On his final lap, he delivered the decisive time that secured P3. The lap placed him ahead of Leclerc and Piastri, while Norris dropped to sixth.
Isack Hadjar keeps his focus on the race
During the post-qualifying interviews, hosted by Jolyon Palmer, Hadjar spoke calmly about the result. The Frenchman said the session had gone “very smoothly”, even though qualifying laps had felt difficult throughout the weekend.
He noted that Ferrari and McLaren looked stronger in the fight for the top three places, but said he adapted well as the session progressed. He also described his final Q3 lap as “really very good at the end.”
Despite the strong result, Hadjar remained realistic about the race. He said the Mercedes cars looked faster and that the key for Sunday would be the start.
“The only thing I can do tomorrow is get a better start, but right now, our rivals are very fast,” he said. “I want to hold my position. It would be fantastic to reach the podium.”
A podium finish would mark the second of his Formula 1 career after finishing third at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix.
Starting third at Albert Park could prove valuable. Overtaking at the circuit often proves difficult, which gives strong grid positions extra importance.
With Verstappen set to start deep in the field after his crash, Red Bull’s race hopes now rest largely on Hadjar. Sunday’s race will show whether his standout qualifying lap was only the start of a bigger result in Melbourne.
