One of the most intense moments of the Grand Prix was the embrace between Anthony Hamilton and Isack Hadjar, after the incident on the formation lap.
Isack Hadjar’s adventure in Formula 1 did not start in the best possible way. The very young French rookie, born in 2004, was unable to start the Australian Grand Prix due to an incident in turn 2 during the formation lap.
Yet, Isack Hadjar’s weekend up until Sunday had been very positive. In fact, on Friday, he finished both practice sessions in the top ten and showed a good race pace in dry track conditions.
These positive feelings were also confirmed by the qualifying session on Saturday, as Hadjar easily passed the Q1 cut, only to be eliminated in Q2 with the eleventh fastest time, just 63 thousandths of a second behind Gasly’s time, and therefore missing out on Q3. However, the eleventh position was enough for him to be the best rookie on the starting grid.
And so we come to Sunday. The difficult conditions certainly didn’t help Hadjar, as well as all the rookies: in addition to the excitement of his first race, it was also the French driver’s first experience in wet conditions with a Formula 1 car.
Once he got out of the car after the incident, the French driver appeared very shaken and disappointed behind the barriers. Afterwards, Hadjar immediately returned to the paddock and, without even removing his helmet, broke down in a moment of cathartic crying.
Meanwhile, Anthony Hamilton, Lewis’s father, observed the scene and, after making his way through the paddock, once he saw Hadjar, he embraced him in a very emotional moment.
The embrace between Anthony Hamilton and Isack Hadjar: the words of Lewis’s father.
Speaking to the Canal+ microphones, Anthony, recalling all the moments of disappointment with his son Lewis, said: “The thing is, as soon as I saw what happened to Isack, my heart fell and I just felt for him. It was just so sad to see, because I know how hard it is when these kids are eight years of age and they dream of becoming a Formula 1 race driver.”
“There’s a lot of pressure all of the way up and you’re sitting on the grid for your first race and it doesn’t happen. That’s got to be the worst feeling in the world and I just felt for him. I just wanted to give him a hug. I felt for him like a father ”, Anthony Hamilton concluded.
Later, Lewis’s father, in an interview with Sky Sports, also spoke about Hadjar’s strong weekend: “I felt really bad for him and I thought, ‘You know what? I need to go to this guy and tell him to keep his head up, walk with your head held high. You’ll come back stronger.’ I think he’s a phenomenal driver, really. There’s still a lot to see from Isack, more than what we’ve seen this weekend.”
The embrace between Anthony Hamilton and Isack Hadjar: the French driver’s thanks.
Once he arrived at the microphones in the mixed zone, Hadjar spoke about the incident that took him out of the race: “I’m just embarrassed, and I’m really sorry. I overdid it. I made the rear wheels spin too much, and the car went. I tried to save the situation, but when it snapped, I was just a passenger. It all happened very quickly.”
“It meant a lot to me, what Anthony did. He knew where I was, how bad I was feeling. He came to find me at my lowest point, and I think it was a beautiful thing from him. I really appreciated it. He told me to keep my head up and show what I’m worth.” , concluded the young French driver.
PHOTO: F1, Isack Hadjar, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.
