Hadjar 'in the mix' for spot in Q3 in Bahrain qualifying
04/12/2025 03:41 AM
Isack Hadjar is setting his sights on a third consecutive Q3 appearance in Formula 1 qualifying after an eye-catching performance in Friday's second practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Racing Bulls rookie ended the day sixth-fastest, ahead of multiple world champion Max Verstappen, in what he described as a promising and revealing session under the floodlights.
After scoring his first career points last time out in Japan and breaking into Q3 for the second race in a row, Hadjar is keen to carry the momentum forward in Sakhir.
'FP2 Made Much More Sense'
Having struggled with the extreme heat during the earlier FP1 session, Hadjar found FP2 far more reflective of true performance.
"FP2 was good compared to FP1 – [in] FP1 it didn't make any sense with how hot the track was, so it was not reliable information, I would say," the young Frenchman explained.
"FP2 made much more sense, and our one-lap pace again we were quite strong.
"I had a good feeling with the car. Still room for improvement, because I would say this was actually our first real session today, so a lot to look forward [to] tomorrow."
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Hadjar, who's impressed many with his calm composure and pace since stepping into the F1 spotlight, also commented on how different the track felt between the two sessions.
"It was worlds apart. This morning was really not enjoyable, now it's back to pretty much F1 standards, I would say. It was a big difference."
Eyes on Q3: 'We Are Still in the Mix'
The 20-year-old isn't taking anything for granted heading into Saturday but remains optimistic about his chances of reaching the top 10 shootout once more.
"I'm always optimistic [about reaching Q3], because I know I'm going to put the work in tonight and tomorrow, but definitely we are still in the mix," said Hadjar. "But it's going to be a hard fight.
"It's not surprising [to see the close gaps in the top 10]. It's what you would expect in the midfield, so I know tomorrow is going to be about details."
Lawson: 'We Have to Absolutely Nail the Lap'
Teammate Liam Lawson endured a tougher FP2, finishing 12th after grappling with the balance of his VCARB 02. Like Hadjar, the Kiwi found FP1's conditions exceptionally difficult but feels there's a solid base to build on.
"FP2 was more tricky for us, weirdly, because FP1 track conditions were an absolute disaster," he conceded. "I don't think I've ever driven such a difficult session, to be honest.
"[In] FP2, balance went away from us a little bit, but in general I think the car's in a pretty good place – it's just fine tuning," he said.
With FP3 set for daylight conditions less relevant to evening qualifying, Lawson emphasized the importance of FP2's data.
"Obviously tomorrow we have a session in the day which is not going to help us for Quali, so we'll be looking into this session and taking what we can for quali tomorrow."
Lawson acknowledged that with all teams having tested in Bahrain pre-season, every tenth will matter.
"I made a pretty big mistake in FP2 and it absolutely dropped me down, so for all of us we have to absolutely nail the lap because otherwise it's very, very costly here," he said.
"With everybody being [at] testing, I think everybody has a pretty good car, and it's cool because right now Formula 1 is a bit like that – the difference between a really good lap and a bad lap can completely change your position, so it puts pressure on us."
With qualifying looming and the margins razor-thin across the midfield, Hadjar and Lawson are preparing for a critical Saturday.
For Hadjar, it's a chance to continue proving his potential on motorsport's biggest stage – and possibly book a third straight appearance in the final segment of qualifying.
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