Isack Hadjar has confirmed that he will serve a five-place grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia this weekend. The Red Bull Racing driver revealed this to Motorsport.com on Thursday, a day before free practice begins. The penalty comes as a significant blow for a team that just secured a double podium in Baku, Azerbaijan, their best result since the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix.
Hadjar explained that the penalty is due to a power unit component change after exceeding the season limit. “I should be taking a five-place penalty,” he said. Red Bull has not yet confirmed which component will be replaced, but FIA rules state that a first breach results in a 10-place grid penalty, with each subsequent breach resulting in a five-place drop. Hadjar has already exceeded the limit with every PU component this season, meaning any change will trigger a five-place penalty.
Nevertheless, the Frenchman remains optimistic. He believes the Sepang circuit offers plenty of overtaking opportunities. “But even with the penalty, I believe this is a track that if you have the race pace, you can go up. And if we can't, then it means we're not fast enough,” he stated. This confidence stems from the track's wide layout and large run-off areas, allowing aggressive manoeuvres without major risk.
Hadjar also revealed a different approach for this weekend. In Baku, he cautiously built up his pace after returning from a wrist injury. But in Sepang, he plans to attack from the start. “The layout makes it that you can go flat-out straight away. It's an open track, there's no walls really. So you go out to push it a lot earlier,” he explained. “This weekend is completely normal to me, so I need to take risks straight away.”
The challenge for Red Bull Racing is heightened as Mercedes is expected to bring its long-awaited upgrade package for the W17. Hadjar himself predicts that his team's performance in Sepang may not be as strong as in Baku. “I would expect us to be less competitive here due to the layout. But if we still manage to fight for a podium this weekend, that would be good,” he said. He added that the Baku race suited their car, and the upgrade played its part, but a more traditional track will give a clearer picture of their true standing.
With the grid penalty, Hadjar must utilise all his skills to minimise points loss. He acknowledges that without sufficient pace, a comeback is impossible. “If we can't, then it means we're not fast enough. So, that's it,” he concluded. Now, focus shifts to free practice and qualifying to see Red Bull's potential in Malaysia and how Hadjar overcomes the challenge from an unfavourable grid position.
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