Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Isack Hadjar revealed he already suspected he would retire from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix after hearing a “terrible sound” coming from the engine of his Red Bull during the early stages of the race at Albert Park in Melbourne.
The French driver started from third on the grid in his Red Bull debut and made a strong launch when the lights went out. However, he quickly dropped to fifth on the opening lap due to a lack of battery energy, which limited his car’s acceleration during the first moments of the race.
After only 10 laps, smoke began to emerge from the rear of the RB22, forcing Hadjar to retire from the race with a power unit problem. Despite the early retirement, he reflected positively on his initial getaway from the grid.
“The start was amazing,” Hadjar told media, including RacingNews365.
“I started the race with no battery, but I still had a very good launch and was almost taking the lead easily.”
Hadjar explained that while the start had been encouraging, the loss of electrical energy soon compromised his race pace and prevented him from maintaining the early momentum.
“At one moment I thought I was going to take the lead, but then suddenly there was no more power,” he said.
As the race progressed, Hadjar began to notice signs that the engine was suffering from a more serious problem.
“For a couple of laps I tried to recover the battery, but the engine sounded terrible, so I knew I was not going to finish the race.”
The Red Bull driver also suggested that without the power unit issue, he believed he could have been involved in the fight near the front of the field.
“It’s a shame because I think we could have been in the mix with Lewis Hamilton,” Hadjar added.
Hamilton ultimately finished the race in fourth position for Ferrari, just behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, who secured a podium result in the opening round of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Hadjar’s retirement was one of several dramatic moments during the Australian Grand Prix, as teams and drivers continue adapting to the technical challenges introduced by the new Formula 1 regulations for 2026.
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