Formula 1. Monaco GP: Isack Hadjar returns to where his career took off

On May 22, 2021, the Parisian, then 16 years old, had a superb weekend on the Rock in FRECA, the antechamber of Formula 3. Author of pole position, victory and the fastest lap in the race, he is regal.

"It was important because it was a bit tough at that point in my career, I didn't really know where I was going. I was there when I needed to be, I'm very proud of that," Isack Hadjar said before the Monaco GP, the eighth round of the F1 season.

That same evening, things got really busy for the French driver when the big boss of the Red Bull team's young driver program, the influential Austrian Helmut Marko, called him to his hotel to meet him.

“I remember being told that Helmut Marko wanted to see me, so I ran out of my room, ran outside, and jumped in a taxi to the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel. And then it was done in two minutes! He told me he was going to send me a contract to drive in Formula 3 in 2022,” recalls the Racing Bulls driver.

"It gave me perspective, it changed my career and I'm in F1 now with them, it's crazy. I can't know if I would have reached F1 without this victory, but it was written. Monaco, this FRECA race, that's where it all started," added the French rookie.

The path is now clear and you have to perform well in F3 and then in F2 to hope to reach the Holy Grail, landing a seat in Formula 1. In 2022, Isack Hadjar discovered the Formula 3 championship, which he finished in fourth place after winning three races.

His debut in F2 was difficult, as he finished the 2023 championship in 14th place. He returned in 2024 and this time fought for the title, which eluded him during the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. "I thought I'd be in F1 three years later, but in the end it took four years, but it's still not bad," said the ambitious 20-year-old Parisian.

Last year in Monaco, Hadjar distinguished himself again by performing an incredible maneuver during F2 qualifying. As he arrived at full speed through the tunnel, he narrowly avoided the Japanese driver Ritomo Miyata, who had suffered a technical problem and was almost at a standstill, with an astonishing reflex.

"It was a good move, but it wasn't calculated. I don't deserve much credit. It was my brain that did everything on its own. I didn't think, I just turned the wheel. I feel like I didn't do anything, but from the outside, for everyone, it seems incredible. It's certainly impressive to watch," he said.

Currently 14th in the drivers' standings with seven points scored in seven races, the Frenchman hopes to increase his points tally this weekend at his favorite circuit where many of his friends and family will come to cheer him on.

"Like every weekend, I'm on a mission. Even if I don't like a circuit, I still have the same desire to do well. But seeing my friends and family is definitely a bit of a boost. And this track is a bit of a thrill, especially the tunnel, one of the most legendary sections of the season."

The Racing Bulls single-seater, which has been quite consistent this year, should be well-suited to the Monaco track, which gives the French driver a lot of confidence: "Monaco is a track where the driver can make the difference, so I'm thinking that I can perhaps achieve my best result of the season."