Verstappen backs Hadjar after paddock incident: ‘It’s incredibly annoying’
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Shanna is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog, specializing in both F1 and endurance and GT racing. With a Master’s degree in Journalism and experience at international circuits, she provides in-depth, reliable coverage and insights based on her presence at Grands Prix and racing events worldwide.
Max Verstappen defended Isack Hadjar after his teammate's paddock incident in Mexico City. The Dutchman understands why his teammate pushed away the intrusive fan and admitted that he himself has come close to reacting that way on occasion.
Hadjar received a warning after shoving a visitor on Friday. According to his statement to the stewards, he was on his way to first practice and had still taken the time to pose for a photo with a young fan. He was then approached by another fan in an aggressive manner. The stewards deemed the push an offence, but took the circumstances into account in their decision.
Verstappen understands Hadjar’s reaction
Verstappen can easily put himself in his teammate’s shoes. "I understand his reaction. It’s incredibly irritating when people just touch you without asking. I’ve never pushed anyone away myself, but there have been a few times when I came close", he said.
As the sport’s popularity grows, more and more people are buying paddock passes, while teams and other interested parties are inviting increasing numbers of guests.
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"I’ve compared the paddock to a zoo before. This is the kind of situation you get when you let so many people in", the four-time F1 world champion explained.
Hadjar calls for respect
Hadjar himself agreed with the warning. He had been able to explain his side to the stewards and felt they had listened to him. “It makes sense. I’m glad they took the right decision. I was talking to the stewards, and they understood my point. So yeah, fair play,” he said. Hadjar believes adult visitors should accept that a driver does not always want to stop for a photo.
He stressed that having a paddock pass is no reason to disregard his personal boundaries. He also echoed Verstappen’s criticism of the crowds, saying visitors should behave more calmly. "When you’re a kid, I’m going to take a picture when I don’t want to take a picture. But because you’re a grown man, don’t invade my space.
“I’m going to work. It’s not a reality show. I’m actually going to work in the garage.”
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Red Bull focuses on improving
Verstappen was pleased with Red Bull’s progress on track. After a difficult practice session, the team made several changes to the RB22 ahead of qualifying.
According to the Dutchman, those changes could have yielded more had his final lap gone smoothly. “There was still quite a bit of room to improve my time, but things went wrong on my final attempt”, said Verstappen, who claimed to have been impeded by Lando Norris twice.
“With him driving right in front of me, I was already losing downforce. Then he was also in the way on the right as we headed towards the stadium. That made braking more difficult, and I could no longer use my usual reference point properly. That certainly didn’t help.”
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