Red Bull F1 star admits his 'world collapsed' after emotional Hamilton moment

Isack Hadjar, Laurent Mekies, Racing Bulls, Red Bull, Monza, Italy, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Red Bull star admits his 'world collapsed' after emotional Hamilton moment

Hadjar's 2025 campaign got off to a horrendous start

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 15 January 2026 20:57 Updated: 21:36

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Red Bull F1 star Isack Hadjar has reflected on his appalling start to the 2025 season, admitting that his 'whole world collapsed' after an early incident.

At last year's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Hadjar didn't even make it to the start line after crashing on the formation lap of his first F1 race.

Clearly distraught and embarrassed after being unable to start his grand prix debut, Hadjar was filmed walking back through the paddock with his helmet still on, but the young Frenchman was visibly in tears.

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Luckily he stumbled across Anthony Hamilton, the former manager and father of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who also happens to be Hadjar's childhood hero.

Hamilton consoled the rookie and embraced him during his time of need, something which likely contributed to the impressive way the Red Bull junior was able to bounce back.

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Hadjar's comeback after awful start to F1 career

Almost a year on from Hadjar's failed debut with Racing Bulls, he is set to return to Albert Park Circuit in March as Max Verstappen's newest F1 team-mate.

After Yuki Tsunoda failed to impress in the second Red Bull seat, Hadjar was handed the opportunity to step up and given the promotion to race alongside the four-time champion for 2026, and potentially beyond.

Ahead of his first season against the Dutchman, the 21-year-old looked back on his touching moment with Hamilton, telling the Talking Bull podcast how the embrace from Lewis' father and the crash itself impacted him emotionally.

“For me, my world collapsed that day,” Hadjar admitted.

“In the car, the emotions were very, very high. But I’m in a sport where it’s not like you have a fight every six months, you get to run it back five days later and that’s when I saw my opportunity.”

"I thought, 'ok, I'm going to have a painful five days now thinking about this mistake, but I know I'll get back in the car and show everyone what I can do'. And, at that time of year, I had my best qualifying in China. I got back to my feet very quickly."

Hadjar qualified P7 for the Chinese GP the following weekend, going on to cross the line just outside the points in P11 but at the next round in Japan, he secured four points to kick off his 2025 tally with an eighth-place finish at Suzuka.

But it was the Dutch GP that likely cemented his future as a Red Bull driver after the Frenchman joined Verstappen on the podium, securing his career-best finish of P3.

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F1 Red Bull Isack Hadjar Anthony Hamilton