Red Bull Racing confirmed that Isack Hadjar suffered a power unit problem during the opening practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix, forcing the driver to spend extended time in the garage and limiting him to the eleventh-fastest time, RacingNews365 reported. Team principal Laurent Mekies addressed the media at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez following the morning running, clarifying that the technical setback was unrelated to the circuit’s high altitude.
Power Unit Troubles Derail First Practice For Hadjar
The first free training session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez already carried an unusual rhythm due to the number of rookies taking over cockpit duties across the grid. At Red Bull, however, the routine programme hit an immediate snag when Hadjar reported anomalies over his team radio. The 22-year-old driver crawled back to the pit lane and watched from the garage as mechanics set to work. Hadjar managed to return to the track only in the final quarter of the session, ultimately setting a lap time that left him eleventh overall and far off the pace of the competition. F1maximaal noted that the lost track time hampered Red Bull’s ability to gather relevant data with the regular drivers during the morning running.
🚨| Red Bull, Hadjar’s blunt assessment: “The RB22 is undriveable and dangerous. The chassis is terrible”— Isack Hadjar expressed frustration with the RB22's performance, particularly criticizing the chassis rather than the power unit. After the Japanese GP, Hadjar remarked:… pic.twitter.com/VnkA1JX0X5
Mekies Rules Out Altitude As Root Cause Of Failure
The circuit in Mexico City lies more than 2,000 meters above sea level, but Mekies rejected suggestions that the thin air triggered Hadjar’s breakdown. “I don’t think there are really big issues with the altitude, at least not so far,” Mekies told journalists, including RacingNews365, during the team principals’ press conference. “We did have problems with the power unit with Isack in the first free practice, so we lost some time on track. Maar het team heeft goed werk geleverd en is erin geslaagd hem weer terug de baan op te sturen.”
Contrast With Iwasa’s Clean Run And Broader Grid Uncertainty
While Hadjar battled reliability woes, Ayumu Iwasa enjoyed a trouble-free session while stepping in for Max Verstappen. Iwasa logged significant mileage and posted the fifth-fastest time of the morning, finishing behind the Ferrari and Mercedes benchmarks despite running on different tyres than his rivals, according to F1maximaal. Mekies emphasized that the competitive pecking order in Mexico remains opaque. “We currently have no idea whether we have an advantage this weekend, or whether we are at a disadvantage,” Mekies stated, pointing out that manufacturers must accept compromises on engine mapping and cooling configurations to ensure the power units can survive the conditions at the venue.
Next Session Schedule
Red Bull will seek to recover lost data and rectify the power unit issues during the second free practice session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, where Max Verstappen returns to the cockpit.
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