Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull debut ends in barriers during rainy Barcelona shakedown

In his second year in Formula One, Isack Hadjar received a baptism by fire in the senior Red Bull team, trading the familiar surroundings of a junior outfit for the world championship’s top tier alongside Max Verstappen.

He stepped into the Red Bull RB22 for the first time in official running during pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but what was meant to be valuable seat time quickly turned into a harsh reminder of how unforgiving the sport can be — especially in a wet, tricky session that ended with Hadjar’s RB22 in the barriers.

On the second day of the private Barcelona shakedown, rainy weather dominated the schedule, limiting dry running and forcing teams to adapt to changing conditions. Unlike some rivals who opted to sit out the damp afternoon, Red Bull chose to continue gathering data and handed the wheel to Hadjar for his first extended stint in the RB22 under wet conditions.

That decision proved costly. With about 30 minutes left in the session, Hadjar approached Turn 14, the final corner of the 4.657km Catalan circuit — a high-speed right-hander that demands precision and grip even in ideal conditions.

On that rain-soaked afternoon, the Frenchman lost control of the rear of the car and spun out, sliding across the gravel and into the TecPro barriers backwards.

The impact heavily damaged the rear of the RB22, with the rear wing and suspension area bearing the brunt of the hit. Photos from the scene showed the car embedded in the barrier as marshals worked to recover it, bringing Hadjar’s day to an abrupt end.

The French-Algerian rookie emerged uninjured and walked away under his own power—a testament to the safety standards in modern Formula 1. But the incident was not without consequence.

The crash ended Red Bull’s running for that day, and with only three out of five scheduled shakedown days available for each team, the loss of track time and potentially limited spare parts could impact preparations for the season ahead.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies described the crash as “unfortunate”, emphasising the tricky conditions and the need to carefully assess the situation before deciding on whether to run again in the next session.

The team’s priority remains repairing the RB22 and maximising its remaining testing days to gain as much insight as possible into the new regulations and their all-new power unit.

For Hadjar, the Barcelona crash serves as a stark introduction to the pressures and unpredictability of life in a top-tier F1 seat — a lesson in how quickly fortunes can change in the world’s premier motorsport. However, with the driver untouched and already gaining valuable experience, Red Bull and Hadjar will hope that this early setback becomes a catalyst for resilience rather than a defining moment.