Hadjar wants to ‘fight for the title’ next season

Isack Hadjar, the 21-year-old French racing driver, is eager to challenge the top teams in the next Formula 1 season following a wrist injury that kept him out of three Grand Prix races earlier this year. Hadjar, who currently sits eighth in the standings with 86 points, expressed his ambition to "crush the rest of the grid" during an interview at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Hadjar, who is currently the teammate of four-time world champion Max Verstappen at Red Bull, signed a contract extension with the team last week. He returned to racing after a break due to his wrist injury and secured a third-place finish in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hadjar mentioned that his podium finish in Monaco last year gave him confidence, but he acknowledged that the real challenge lies in repeating that success.

The driver emphasized that he and Verstappen share a strong working relationship, despite both wanting to emerge victorious in races. Hadjar expressed his desire to compete against the top drivers, including the big names in the sport, and emulate France's only previous world champion, Alain Prost, who won four titles between 1985 and 1993.

Hadjar acknowledged that Red Bull's car will not dominate the championship this year, but he remains hopeful that the team will produce a vehicle capable of challenging Mercedes' reigning champion, Kimi Antolin. He noted that Mercedes is expected to step up their performance in the coming weeks, but Red Bull and Hadjar are committed to pushing the boundaries and striving for greatness.

As for the future, Hadjar is optimistic and excited about the road ahead. He stated that he aims to finish the 2023 season with the mindset that Red Bull will "crush them all" in 2027, with even greater success anticipated in 2028. In the meantime, he looks forward to returning to racing and taking on the Sepang circuit for the first time this weekend, with anticipation and enthusiasm.