Hadjar announces penalty: “Will probably start as 22nd”

– Isack Hadjar will have a slightly harder time at the weekend in Spa-Francorchamps extending his streak of five consecutive top-6 finishes. Because the Red Bull driver will have to start the Grand Prix on Sunday from the very back. The Frenchman revealed this himself ahead of the weekend.

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“We will probably start 22nd,” he says to the French TV channel Canal+. That means Red Bull will likely install new engine parts in his car and take a penalty. For Hadjar, this is not the first this season: He already had to start from the pit lane in Miami.

At that time, he had exceeded the allowed limit of three elements for the battery and control electronics and had to take the fourth component already in the fourth race of the season. Of course, another change of these parts would again incur a penalty, but since it only means dropping five positions each time, Red Bull will probably swap more parts.

Red Bull has also already reached the limit of four allowed parts for the internal combustion engine, turbocharger, and exhaust system with him – another change would result in a ten-place penalty each (see overview of engine parts 2026).

Since Hadjar goes into the weekend with this knowledge, he and Red Bull no longer have to focus on qualifying but can concentrate purely on race pace. “We already know what to expect,” he nods.

Nevertheless, he has not yet written off a good result in Belgium: “Spa is a track where you can overtake. A lot can happen there, and we know we have a decent race pace. So I am preparing for an entertaining race on Sunday,” says the Frenchman.

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In general, the 21-year-old rates his performance this year positively. The consistency of five consecutive top-6 results is “definitely reassuring,” as he says, “especially considering the background of the second Red Bull cockpit.”

“Things are going pretty well, and I am satisfied with my work. Still, as a team, we would like to fight more consistently against Ferrari and Mercedes,” he continues. “I still think we are a bit behind.”

“This weekend, another top-6 finish will be difficult given my starting position. But we will give it our all.”

However, Hadjar will not be the only top team driver to start the race with a handicap: McLaren has already announced that Lando Norris faces a ten-place grid penalty due to a change in control electronics.

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