Written by Caitlyn Gordon, Edited by Charlotte Mui
Helmut Marko has slammed Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar for crying after crashing out of his debut Grand Prix on the formation lap.
Hadjar made his Formula 1 debut in Australia, making a strong impression at the start of the weekend, being the fastest rookie in both practice sessions. His form continued into qualifying, where he rounded out the session as the highest-placed rookie, starting the race in 11th, just behind Carlos Sainz’s Williams.
However, his luck took a turn when he headed into the treacherous conditions that plagued Sunday afternoon’s Grand Prix. As the formation lap got underway, Hadjar lost control of his car on the slippery track, hitting the Turn 2 barriers and bringing his first Grand Prix to a heartbreaking end.
His crash resulted in an aborted start, sending the remaining 19 drivers back to the start of the grid. While they were pulling into their respective grid boxes, pictures of an emotional Hadjar began to emerge on the screens. As the inconsolable 20-year-old made his way back to the paddock, Anthony Hamilton rushed to comfort the young driver.
Regardless of the heartbreaking pictures, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko showed no pity, calling the emotional scene ‘a bit embarrassing.’
Speaking to the Austrian radio broadcaster ORF, Marko continued to critique his driver, dubbing the emotional reaction a "tearful show."
Despite the harsh comments, many key figures in the paddock were quick to support the rookie. Significant names such as F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali personally visited the driver, while Red Bull team principal Christian Horner contradicted the advisor, providing words of encouragement instead:
“It was quite heart-wrenching to see him so gutted,” Horner said. “His first grand prix.
“I think the positives he needs to take out of it, when he reflects on the weekend – he actually performed very well in the practices and the qualifying.
“You forget that these guys are just kids. Obviously a lot of emotion for him today, but I think when he strips it back, there’s an awful lot of positives that he can take out of the weekend. He’s got many bright days ahead of him.”
Anthony Hamilton was the first to step in and console the rookie when he returned to the paddock. After sharing a few words of encouragement with Hadjar, Hamilton revealed what went through his mind when he witnessed the incident:
"When I saw it happen, my heart just sank for him," Anthony Hamilton said to Sky Sports.
"Not just for him, for his parents, for everything they've done to work hard to get to this one point, and it's like it's snatched from you.
"I just felt terrible for him, so I thought 'You know what, I need to go and tell this kid keep your head high, walk tall, you're gonna come back'. I think he's a phenomenal driver. I think there's more to come from Isack than we probably have seen this weekend".
Hadjar will get another chance to showcase his abilities during the Chinese Grand Prix which takes place on the 21-23 of March.
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