Isack Hadjar received a formal warning from FIA stewards following a tense on-track confrontation with Williams driver Alexander Albon during the third practice session for the United States Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing driver, who struggled with the handling of his RB22 throughout the session, drew the attention of officials after an aggressive maneuver near turn one at the Circuit of the Americas.
Stewards issue formal warning for erratic driving
The FIA stewards officially investigated the incident, citing “driving erratically” as the primary reason for their intervention. According to a report by GPFans, the stewards determined that Isack Hadjar’s maneuver toward Albon was a retaliatory move. Hoewel de governing body opted for a formal warning, the official statement emphasized that such conduct is “something that must be discouraged,” and the summons was signed by officials Garry Connelly, Matthew Selley, Pedro Lamy, and Steve Pence.
Formula 1 drivers,Gabriel Boroleto and Isack Hadjar both have received warnings for their actions on the track.Bortoleto for impeding Hamilton.Hadjar for erratic behaviour with Alex Albon.
Tensions escalate over team radio
The incident occurred in the closing moments of the third practice session after Hadjar locked his wheels and ran wide entering the first corner. Upon encountering Albon, who was attempting to stay clear of the racing line, the Red Bull junior driver expressed his frustration openly over the team radio. “What the f*ck was he doing?! He is just sleeping on the racing line,” Hadjar stated, as reported by GPBlog. Following the verbal outburst, Hadjar was observed steering his car toward Albon’s Williams and gesturing with his arm. Additional coverage from RacingNews365 noted that the stewards specifically stated a more severe penalty would have been issued had there been actual physical contact between the two cars.
Performance struggles at Circuit of the Americas
The confrontation took place against a backdrop of technical challenges for the Red Bull driver. Hadjar finished tenth in the final practice session, trailing the session-leading pace set by Lewis Hamilton by over a second. The driver reported that his RB22 felt “uncontrollable” on Friday, and subsequent setup adjustments made before the Saturday session failed to resolve the instability. Further compounding his difficult outing, Hadjar slid off the track in the S-curves during the final minutes of the session, forcing his team to conduct a safety inspection of the car’s floor for structural damage. Albon, meanwhile, concluded the session in nineteenth place.
Ongoing FIA reviews in Austin
The stewards’ decision regarding Hadjar was part of a broader series of reviews following the Saturday morning session. Other drivers, including Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, also faced scrutiny from the race officials. While Hülkenberg was cleared of any wrongdoing regarding a practice start incident that forced Lance Stroll to brake, Bortoleto was handed a formal warning for impeding Lewis Hamilton in turn 12.
The next official session for the United States Grand Prix is the qualifying round, scheduled to follow the conclusion of the stewards’ review period.
Isack Hadjar fumes at Alex Albon! 🫨Not an ideal end to FP3 for the pair 👇#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/oqpgGS7fxs
