Heading into the Interlagos weekend, Isack Hadjar is choosing to remain grounded despite Red Bull showing significant improvements in their start procedures at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Frenchman is refusing to get overconfident that the clutch issues that have plagued the team throughout the 2026 season are fully resolved.
Throughout this season, inconsistency in the RB22's clutch delivery has been a persistent issue, repeatedly costing both Hadjar and teammate Max Verstappen valuable positions at the first corner. A costly moment occurred in Austin, where Hadjar dropped back from third on the grid due to an uncontrollable clutch overdelivery. While no major hardware changes were introduced before Mexico, the Milton Keynes-based team's launches improved markedly there, providing a glimmer of hope for the remainder of the campaign.
However, when asked if the strong starts in Mexico could be guaranteed to repeat, Hadjar offered a candid response. "I'd be lying if I said yes. I mean, I also don't want to say it was a fluke, because we worked hard on it from Austin, and then we achieved it in Mexico. So, lots of hard work," Hadjar told the media.
"Now the goal is to replicate it, find out why it worked that well, and keep it that way until the end of the year. And next year, take an even further step," he added. For Hadjar, this is part of a larger challenge in the 2026 season, where the potential of the RB22 often hasn't translated into Sunday results.
Frustration has understandably clouded Hadjar's recent outings, especially after a series of mechanical and electronic gremlins—ranging from a gearbox failure in Singapore to a late battery issue that cost him a likely podium in Malaysia—repeatedly disrupted his Sundays. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic that his form is on the verge of clicking.
"That's what makes it more frustrating for me right now. The last couple of races, I couldn't even be in the top five. I mean, except for Malaysia, it's always been something happening on Sunday. But, yeah, it's going to click. It's just a matter of time, and on my side, I think the pace has been decent. So I just want to keep pushing, and here anything can happen with the conditions, so stay very, very sharp," he concluded.
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