Isack Hadjar blames late battery problem for missed podium in Sepang

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Isack Hadjar’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia ended with disappointment after the Red Bull driver said a late battery problem robbed him of a podium chance. Starting eighth and charging forward, Hadjar ultimately crossed the line in P5, after slipping out of contention in the closing laps despite running strongly earlier in the race.

Hadjar began the race by making what he described as the optimum choice on intermediate tyres at the start. He moved up immediately, benefiting from four cars ahead running on slick tyres. He also lost a spot to Liam Lawson early, but by Lap 6 he had passed Lawson to claim fourth.

From there, Hadjar said he had a clear view of the battle developing ahead, involving his teammate Max Verstappen and Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. He was initially placed to join that fight, but he later reported that the car’s behaviour changed and that he struggled for grip and could not match the pace of the drivers ahead.

Hadjar said he did not understand the drop-off, telling his team, “No, but something was wrong, because I can't possibly be a second lap slower now, even compared to a Mercedes, where the whole weekend we were quicker. And now in the race we're absolutely nowhere. The car was horrible to drive.” He added later that he believed the issue needed to be corrected quickly ahead of the next race.

A notable moment came when Hadjar was told during the race that he was fighting Lewis Hamilton. Hadjar responded that the weekend pace had suggested he should be able to compete more closely, stating, “Yeah, he was 15 seconds behind me, and then in a couple of laps he was [right] behind, when the whole weekend I was pretty fast. Yeah, we need to fix the issue, and come back in Singapore and do better.”

Hadjar remained fourth during the final Safety Car period. After George Russell stopped on track, Hadjar gained a place. But following the restart, his car’s battery performance became the deciding factor in the final phase of the race, as he was passed first by Hamilton and then by Charles Leclerc.

Explaining what went wrong in the closing laps, Hadjar said, “Just the last couple of laps, I don't know how we ended up having no battery. So in the straight, I couldn't defend against the Ferraris, so we lost the podium on something so stupid.” He also suggested the power unit and restart sequence were tied to the problem, adding, “I think the power unit was fine. It's just the first two laps of the restart, I don't know why we were so down on battery. Then it stabilised itself, and then I was fast again. Otherwise, I would have kept third.”

In addition to the battery issue, Hadjar pointed to chassis and tyre behaviour, saying grip remained a concern even under Safety Car conditions. He said he felt he was operating on essentially the same tyre condition through the stint, commenting, “I don't know, just the grip – even behind the Safety Car, I was feeling that I had no grip, and it was going to be a tough restart for me. So it felt like I was always on the same tyres – I came back on the run one compound – so it's a joke.”

While the race brought success for Max Verstappen and the Red Bull team, who recorded the first win of the 2026 season, Hadjar said he had no mood to celebrate. “It's not a good day for me. I'm happy for the boys – but yeah, it's a disaster for me…,” he said after the result.

Hadjar’s explanation leaves two linked concerns—battery performance in the opening laps of the restart and reduced grip during the final phase—both of which he believes combined to turn a potential third-place result into fifth. With Verstappen taking victory, Hadjar will now look to address the late-race issues he described as the key swing factor in Sepang.