Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Isack Hadjar has set his sights on securing a podium finish at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix after qualifying third for Red Bull Racing at Albert Park. The French driver admitted that Mercedes currently appears “just too fast” to realistically challenge for victory.
Hadjar became Red Bull’s only driver fighting at the front after team-mate Max Verstappen crashed in the opening minutes of Q1. The incident forced the four-time world champion to start the race from the back of the grid.
Despite the added pressure, Hadjar delivered a strong final lap in qualifying to secure third place on the grid. However, he still finished almost eight tenths of a second behind pole-sitter George Russell of Mercedes.
The result exceeded Hadjar’s expectations heading into the qualifying session. Throughout the Melbourne weekend, the French driver admitted he had struggled to find a consistent rhythm with the car during practice.
“Yeah, it was a very smooth qualifying,” Hadjar said.
“The run-up to qualifying, the whole weekend, was a bit difficult.”
“We're not really in a position to fight for the top three. I felt like the Ferrari and the McLaren were a bit clear of me, but we kind of built up to it the whole qualifying session, and that was a very good last lap.”
With Verstappen starting from the back, Red Bull will rely heavily on Hadjar to secure valuable points for the Milton Keynes-based team.
The young driver is also targeting what could become the second podium of his Formula 1 career after finishing third at the Dutch Grand Prix last season. However, he acknowledged that finishing higher than third may prove difficult given Mercedes’ dominant qualifying performance.
When asked whether he could challenge Mercedes during the race, Hadjar admitted his main focus will be maintaining position at the start.
“The only thing I can do is make a better start,” he explained.
“They're just too fast at the moment, so I want to keep my position. A second podium would be good.”
Hadjar will start from the second row alongside Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. Meanwhile, Mercedes drivers Russell and Kimi Antonelli will lead the grid after demonstrating a clear performance advantage in qualifying at Albert Park.
With the pace gap evident in qualifying, race strategy and tyre management could prove decisive factors in determining whether Hadjar can secure a podium result on Sunday.
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