Hadjar bares frustration after failing to match Verstappen: 'Max was able to do it'

The Red Bull Racing driver admitted he was frustrated with his failure to extract the maximum performance from the RB22, which ultimately cost him a higher starting position. Hadjar conceded that he was not quick enough on his final push lap compared to teammate Max Verstappen, who he acknowledged managed to maximise his the car performance.

Speaking after qualifying, the Frenchman said: "It's just very close to... I mean, I'm eighth, the final guy of the top four cars, it's a bit disappointing. I'm missing out on third because I was just not quick enough on that final lap. Max was able to do it, so yeah, I really want to look at what went wrong in the lap. I know I didn't have the best start of it, like launching it, so I know it cost me a bit of time, but yeah, it's still fine."

Pressed on whether he could still take encouragement from how tight the margins were across the field, Hadjar admitted the closeness of the grid only made the result more frustrating, given how little it took to gain or lose positions.

"Yeah, that's why it's a bit more frustrating because I know if I tidy up one or two things, then we can get there. But I'm happy about my driving today. I think I've been on it since lap one, so that's good, and hopefully tomorrow we find even more time,” he concluded.

Hadjar had begun Sprint Qualifying strongly, setting a quicker time than Verstappen in the opening segment. However, the momentum soon shifted, with Verstappen topping the timesheets for Red Bull in both SQ2 and SQ3.

Following qualifying, Verstappen admitted Red Bull was fortunate to secure third place, noting the final result could just as easily have been sixth or seventh given how closely matched the field was. The Dutchman also conceded that the team is still not where it wants to be, highlighting cornering performance and energy deployment as key areas for improvement heading into the rest of the weekend.

The four-time world champion also suggested that Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli appeared to be in a league of their own during Sprint Qualifying, adding that if they were that quick over a single lap, their teammates were likely to be strong in race conditions as well.

However, Verstappen expects his main battle in Saturday’s Sprint to come from the drivers behind him rather than those ahead. "They look a bit quick. And if they look quick, normally their teammates should also be quick in race pace when everything calms down a little bit. So, for me, I think it will be more of a battle with the guys behind me."