Hadjar explains how Red Bull battled early setbacks to salvage its test day in Bahrain on Thursday

Newly promoted Red Bull racer Isack Hadjar endured a challenging start to Day 2 of Bahrain’s pre‑season test, but the Frenchman ultimately turned the situation around to secure a spot inside the top five by the end of Thursday’s running.

Held back early on by apparent technical problems, he completed a strong recovery in the afternoon, logging 87 laps and setting a best time that was 2.288 seconds slower than pace‑setter Charles Leclerc.

Red Bull’s morning troubles limited his track time, but the team’s swift response ensured the day wasn’t lost. Reflecting on the day, Hadjar remained pragmatic about the early disruption.

“Obviously, the day didn’t start as we had hoped because of the issue but it’s pre-season and these things happen. The Team worked hard to get me out just before the end of the morning session, which put us in a good position for the afternoon.”

Once back on track, Hadjar was able to build momentum and begin making up for the lost mileage. Despite completing fewer laps than some rivals, he stressed that the team maximised what they had.

“Although we had less mileage than others, we made the most of it and gathered plenty of data ahead of Max’s and my run tomorrow.”

The compressed schedule didn’t derail Red Bull’s objectives either. “We managed to complete several of our programmes in a short timeframe, so it’s reassuring to know that the morning disruption hasn’t affected our overall plan.”

Most encouragingly, Hadjar felt comfortable in the RB22 once he finally got a clean run: “Once I got out on track, I felt good in the car, so we can be pleased with today’s work.”