Isack Hadjar is at risk of receiving an F1 grid penalty after the FIA confirmed that Racing Bulls installed his fourth and final permitted internal combustion engine before Saturday’s third practice session at the Dutch Grand Prix. Alongside the new engine, Hadjar’s car also received its final turbocharger, motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), and motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K), all penalty-free components.
Mechanical Troubles Halt Hadjar During Practice at Zandvoort
On Friday, Hadjar was 12th fastest in the opening practice session but did not set a time in the second run of the day. Early in Free Practice 2, the French driver experienced car issues and slowed dramatically before pulling off to the side of the track, triggering a Virtual Safety Car period. Hadjar revealed these difficulties actually began during the first session.
“I mean, we had sensor issues in the PU in FP1,”
Hadjar stated to the media, including PlanetF1.com.
He explained that the team opted to replace the battery and the power unit due to the problem. Heading out late in FP2, Hadjar was then instructed to stop by the team because of concerns over how the battery was functioning.
“The team was not happy with the way the battery was operating, so they asked me to stop. That was it.”
—Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Driver
Team Efforts to Manage Power Unit Issues Before FP3
Overnight, Racing Bulls made significant changes, including swapping the battery, internal combustion engine, and various components. This required the team to break curfew rules in order to have the car ready for the final practice session. Hadjar acknowledged on Friday that the power unit was “completely changed” in an attempt to resolve the technical issues ahead of qualifying.
However, these replacements automatically place Hadjar on the brink of a grid penalty, as the FIA limits each driver to using only four internal combustion engines, turbochargers, MGUs-H, and MGUs-K during a season without penalty. With these being his fourth of each, a further requirement for new parts would result in starting from the back of the grid.
In addition, he has received a new exhaust, his sixth of the eight allowed penalty-free exhausts.
Hadjar Remains Confident Despite Limited Practice Time
Although Hadjar missed the entire FP2 session, he expressed optimism about his readiness for qualifying. He believes that the two remaining practice runs will suffice to prepare him adequately. He also intends to review the data collected by teammate Liam, which he hopes will help compensate for lost track time.
“Usually by the end of FP3, I feel ready to go to qualifying so I think with only two free practice sessions, I think it will be enough. Fortunately, we can still have a good look at what Liam did.”
—Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Driver
Potential Impact of Penalty on Hadjar’s Season
This situation poses a significant challenge for the 20-year-old French driver, whose performance this season could be affected by starting positions if further component changes are necessary. Maintaining reliability in power unit parts is crucial as any additional replacements would incur penalties impacting his race weekend and championship prospects. Motorsport fans and the team will closely monitor Hadjar’s progress at the Dutch Grand Prix and subsequent races amid these technical difficulties.
