News Summary
- Isack Hadjar finished 22nd and last in Singapore GP qualifying after repeated technical problems with his Red Bull.
- The Frenchman initially reported that his engine had stopped, returned to the pits and then complained of losing gears during another attempt.
- Hadjar is set to start Sunday’s Grand Prix from 21st, gaining one position because of George Russell’s previously confirmed grid penalty.
Isack Hadjar endured a disastrous qualifying session for the Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday, October 10, after repeated technical problems with his Red Bull prevented him from completing a competitive lap, leaving the Frenchman 22nd and last at Marina Bay.
The problems came only hours after Hadjar retired from the rain-affected sprint, forcing Red Bull’s mechanics to repair his car during the limited turnaround before qualifying. The team also reverted to a previously used power unit from its available allocation, rather than retain the unit fitted during the sprint.
Despite those changes, Hadjar encountered trouble almost immediately after leaving the garage. His car initially lost power on the circuit, but he managed to restart it and return to the pits before another failure ended his session.
Hadjar reports engine shutdown before returning to pits
Hadjar’s first problem occurred with approximately 11 minutes remaining in Q1, when his Red Bull suddenly began slowing on the Marina Bay circuit.
“The engine is off!” the Frenchman reported over team radio.
The car continued coasting, raising concerns that Hadjar would be forced to stop on track. However, the Red Bull unexpectedly regained power seconds later, allowing him to complete the lap and return to the garage.
His mechanics worked on the car before sending him back onto the circuit for another qualifying attempt.
The team had already faced a difficult turnaround after Hadjar retired from Saturday’s Singapore sprint, which Max Verstappen won ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
‘I lost the gears’: second failure ends qualifying
Hadjar’s second attempt was interrupted by another problem, this time involving the transmission.
“Ay, ay, ay, ****! Same issue. I lost the gears,” he shouted over team radio.
The Frenchman was unable to complete a competitive lap, leaving him at the bottom of the timing screens as Q1 came to an end.
Hadjar finished 22nd, behind both Cadillac drivers, Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas.
The problems were particularly frustrating because Red Bull had fitted a different power unit from the one used during the sprint, reverting to a previously available unit in Hadjar’s allocation.
The exact cause of the repeated failures remained unconfirmed at the end of Q1.
Hadjar qualifies 22nd but will start Singapore GP from 21st
Hadjar was the slowest driver in qualifying, but he is expected to gain one position on Sunday’s starting grid because of George Russell’s previously confirmed 40-place power-unit penalty.
The Red Bull driver is therefore set to start the Singapore Grand Prix from 21st, rather than the 22nd position he occupied in the qualifying classification.
Fernando Alonso was the highest-placed driver eliminated in Q1, followed by Alexander Albon, Lance Stroll, Pérez, Bottas and Hadjar.
Singapore GP 2026 — drivers eliminated in Q1
| Pos. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | F. ALONSO | Aston Martin Honda |
| 18 | A. ALBON | Williams Mercedes |
| 19 | L. STROLL | Aston Martin Honda |
| 20 | S. PÉREZ | Cadillac Ferrari |
| 21 | V. BOTTAS | Cadillac Ferrari |
| 22 | I. HADJAR | Red Bull Ford |
Hadjar’s result contrasted sharply with teammate Verstappen’s performance throughout the Singapore weekend.
The Dutchman had secured sprint pole on Friday before winning Saturday’s race, while Hadjar suffered a retirement followed by a qualifying session disrupted by technical problems.
The updated Singapore GP schedule, including qualifying and race times is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO, which follows the latest Formula 1 news throughout the Singapore GP weekend.
