Summary
- Hadjar raced only once in September, at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
- He finished third in Baku on his return from injury.
- An FIA appeal ruling earlier in the month restored his third place from June’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Isack Hadjar competed in just one Formula 1 race in September 2026, but the month brought him two podium results. The Red Bull driver returned from a wrist injury at Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix and finished third behind George Russell and teammate Max Verstappen.
The Frenchman had missed the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix while recovering. Liam Lawson filled in for those three rounds, before Hadjar returned to the car in Baku. He qualified fourth and completed Red Bull’s double podium in his first race back.
His other podium of the month came from a race held in June. Hadjar had been promoted to third in Monaco when Pierre Gasly received two five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane. Alpine later persuaded the stewards to remove those penalties, putting Gasly back on the podium and dropping Hadjar to fourth.
Red Bull and McLaren appealed. On 4 September, the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated both Gasly penalties, returning Hadjar to third place in Monaco and moving Gasly to seventh in the revised classification. The ruling also gave Hadjar back the three championship points he had lost when the penalties were initially overturned. The Monaco classification changed after the FIA ruling.
That made for an unusual September: one Grand Prix start, a podium earned in Baku and a podium recovered from Monaco. Hadjar now has 86 points and sits eighth in the Drivers’ Championship.
F1 today: FAQ
What time is Singapore GP sprint qualifying today?
Sprint qualifying starts at 20:30 Singapore time on Friday, October 9, equivalent to 13:30 BST in the UK, 08:30 ET in the United States and Canada, and 18:00 IST in India. The session determines the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint.
Who was fastest in Singapore GP FP1?
George Russell topped FP1 with a 1:32.274, driving Mercedes’ older W17 aerodynamic specification. Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.198s behind, followed by Lando Norris in third. Kimi Antonelli was seventh with the upgraded Mercedes, while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th.
Why is George Russell using the old Mercedes at the Singapore GP?
Mercedes is comparing its previous W17 specification with the aerodynamic upgrade introduced at Sepang. Russell is using the older package, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli retains the new version. Russell led FP1, but differences in tyre compounds and run programmes mean the result alone does not establish which specification is faster.
How many F1 races did Hadjar enter in September 2026?
Hadjar entered only the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. A wrist injury kept him out of the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds.
