Rising star Isack Hadjar on racing Lewis Hamilton and staying grounded in his F1 debut

Isack Hadjar walked into the Tudor boutique at ION Orchard. There was no fanfare. No screaming fans hoping to score an autograph or a selfie with him.

Instead, the air was thick with quiet anticipation of the arrival of Formula One’s rising star. It was an intimate gathering, and we were given precious facetime with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) driver. Excitement continued to build for the legions of fans awaiting his appearance at the Inside the Garage pop-up levels and below.

Dressed in an official VCARB tee and shorts, Hadjar rocked up sporting a Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” from Tudor, the team’s Official Timekeeper Partner.

“This is a watch I really like; it’s very light and it’s a part of my uniform, but it's also a watch that I wear in my daily life,” he said.

Hadjar had just turned 21 three days prior to arriving in Singapore. The French-Algerian driver is one of six rookies to debut in their first full season of F1 this year — and the one we were most excited about on the grid.

You never really know what to expect when an F1 driver you’ve never met takes the seat in front of you. Most are friendly. Some are effortlessly charming. And other seasoned hands like Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg will have you almost fall off your chair laughing with his quickfire repartee.

Hadjar? The Paris-born racer is leaner, friendlier and better looking in person than how he appears in the media. Most striking, perhaps, is how present, attentive and engaged the young driver is throughout our session.

Well, even the grumpiest of drivers (hello, Alonso) were once young and impressionable rookies — grateful simply for the opportunity to compete in the most elite echelon of motorsport.

If there’s one F1 driver who still exudes that I’m-just-happy-to-be-here vibe on the grid and at meet-and-greets, it’s certainly Hadjar. And it’s adorable. There’s something very special about observing a rookie driver at the starting line of their F1 career before their rise.

Hadjar, who began competitive kart racing at age seven, has raced through foundational junior championships, graduating to F4, F3 and F2, culminating in his F1 debut this year with VCARB, or Racing Bulls, Red Bulls’ junior team. We know, team names can get convoluted and confusing given the revolving door of sponsors from year-to-year sometimes. So, you can also just call them ‘RB’ if everything else is just too much of a mouthful. 

Well, what an impressive debut it’s been. Hadjar has consistently finished within the Top 10 this season, scoring important points for the team, and he has already snagged a podium for his third-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix in August – making him one of only two rookies to do so, and becoming the youngest French driver in history to ever achieve this feat. So much so that there’s talk of him being promoted to the second Red Bulls seat next year.

Is this why Helmut Marko, motorsport legend and advisor to both teams owned by Red Bull, has nicknamed Hadjar “Le Petit Prost” after the late F1 champion and racing icon Alain Prost? 

“Once, in his office, I was biting my nails and since that day, he calls me ‘Le Petit Prost’. Because Prost apparently did the same,” Hadjar said with a grin.

In the spirit of Tudor’s Born to Dare manifesto, when did you discover you were “Born To Dare”, and what does it mean to you?

I don’t think I was expected to make it to Formula One, not where I come from. It was a very difficult journey, but I always believed in myself. I dared to go up against the best in junior categories and prove I could beat them. That belief carried me through, and I live by that motto. For me, it's about going against adversity, not being scared. I’ve lived by that motto since karting, when I was never scared to race the best in the toughest championships. That’s how you improve.

What’s the most daring thing you’ve done so far, on or off track?

This year I’ve had the privilege of racing against my idol, Lewis Hamilton. That was probably the most daring moment. To challenge him on track feels incredible. We’ve had many fights [on track] already, and I think that’s the closest to daring I’ve ever felt.

How does it feel to go up against someone you've admired for so many years?

It's very surreal, to be honest. Even [at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix] in Baku a couple of weeks ago, I was racing him and thinking, “This is Lewis behind me; the guy I’ve always looked up to, and now I’m defending my position against him”. Most of the time he gets past me, unfortunately, but I enjoy every single fight with him.

Let's talk about that milestone that you had with your first podium finish. What's the next box that you want to check?

Either second or first place. The only way is up. And I'm happy to say that now that I've had my first podium, I can actually go and chase for more.

To get to a podium, you have to make some daring choices every single time you get in the car. What are the most daring race choices that you've made this season, and how do you go about making those daring choices?

Daring can be anything; it can mean committing to tough decisions with the team, it could be a strategic call, or committing to a one-stop [pit stop strategy]. We’ve done that before and it paid off. When you're trying something daring and it pays off, it feels very, very good.

The payoff is always kind of sweet – what does that feel like for someone as young as you are?

Honestly, after a tough day I sometimes wonder, why am I doing this? But then when I get a podium, I'm like, okay, that's actually why – to feel that adrenaline rush after a good result, a good race, and a good fight.

Singapore is one of the most iconic night races on the F1 calendar. What excites you most about racing under those lights?

It’s a very technical and twisty track. It’s not high-speed, but I really like the flow of it. And honestly racing at night adds a special feeling. For some reason, everything feels a bit accelerated, and you always feel like you're going faster than during the day. It’s very hot inside the car and it’s very humid around here so it’s a very tough race, but I like that challenge and I’ve prepared by spending a lot of time in the sauna recently.

Mentally, how do you get in the zone? Do you have a routine before stepping into the car?

My routine is very timed. It's very precise, like following a book. Most of the time, races start at 3pm so I always start the warm-up at 1.45pm. Then get in the garage at 2.10pm. I always get into the car 10 minutes before the race. Before that, I would have my AirPods on, listen to some music to hype myself up a bit. I always jump in from the left-hand side of the car. Once I'm in the car, I start to get locked in. You don't want to be focused too early, because it could be draining, so you save it to the very last moment. And for some reason, that’s when I'm putting my belt on. I go into a different mode and I'm one with the car – strapped in and ready to go.

Now, race drivers often become style icons off the track as well. How would you describe your personal style outside of your race suit?

Honestly, I like my Uggs and a hoodie – it's comfortable, which is really important, especially with all the travelling. 

What’s one travel essential you need to bring with you wherever you go?

My AirPods! It's very important for me to have music on.

What music do you listen to?

It depends. When I feel nostalgic, I go back to the song I used to listen to with my dad on the roads [on the way to] the go-kart tracks. Like a bit of Depeche Mode from the ’80s or Linkin Park. To get me hyped before the race, a bit of French rap.

Do you think you have another podium in you for the rest of the season?

I definitely have it in me. I can’t tell you where, because it’s impossible to predict at this level, but if everything aligns perfectly again, then yeah, I’ll be there.