Stewards give verdict on Hadjar’s participation in the Singapore Grand Prix

While Verstappen won Saturday’s sprint race and subsequently claimed pole position for the Grand Prix, problems continued to pile up for Hadjar. The Frenchman retired from the sprint with engine trouble, after which Red Bull once again had to work on his car. He was barely able to complete any laps during qualifying either. This time, the gearbox was found to be the culprit.

Because Hadjar failed to set a lap time in Q1, his participation in the race was not automatically guaranteed. The stewards have now formally confirmed that he may start. Red Bull can therefore focus on repairing his car and preparing for the race. The permission naturally does not give him a better starting position: Hadjar will have to line up at the back.

The technical troubles had already begun on Friday. Hadjar initially felt comfortable during free practice, but was unable to carry that feeling into sprint qualifying. During his final run, he also encountered engine problems. Before the sprint race, Red Bull replaced, among other components, the internal combustion engine, turbocharger and fuel collector. The engine and turbocharger that were fitted had been used previously, meaning those changes did not result in penalties.

However, the problems did not end there. During the sprint, Hadjar reported that he had lost all power, forcing him to pull his car over. Red Bull investigated the power unit and decided to fit another one for qualifying.

Hadjar was then able to begin Q1, but once again encountered problems. He returned to the garage and ultimately failed to set a time. Laurent Mekies explained afterwards that the retirements had different causes: the power unit failed during the sprint, while the gearbox caused the issue in qualifying. The team principal apologised to his driver because Red Bull had not given him enough opportunity to show his speed.

The stewards’ decision concerns Hadjar’s eligibility to race after failing to set a qualifying time. It is therefore not a ruling on any potential penalties for replacing engine components. Nor does the decision establish a specific starting position; for that, the regulations governing the formation of the starting grid apply.

Hadjar therefore still faces a major sporting challenge. While Verstappen can fight at the front, he will have to try to score points from the back of the field. Mekies has voiced that ambition, but also acknowledged that a poor starting position carries particular weight in Singapore. Overtaking opportunities are limited on the street circuit.