Isack Hadjar on his season so far, F1 opportunity and why his approach won’t change

It has been an altogether different Formula 2 experience for Isack Hadjar in 2024. Following a challenging rookie campaign last year, the Frenchman has gone from strength to strength this season, establishing himself as comfortable Championship leader.

Arriving at Monza, the Campos Racing driver has a 36-point advantage over his closest rival Gabriel Bortoleto in the Standings and is full of confidence having won last time out at Spa-Francorchamps.

So what has been the difference maker for the Red Bull Junior Team driver? He believes that 2023 was an important learning experience, and his performances this year have been down to a revamped mentality focused on consistency.

“I think staying cool in the tricky moments I’ve had this year – to bounce back I would say I have a strong chin. It had been a year and half without a podium, so to come back and be leading F2 shows just how much I’ve improved in that aspect. It shows that I can bounce back really strongly which is important.

“After Jeddah, I think I was 13th in the Championship, and it was really looking not good. But then my Championship really started in Melbourne. Since then, we’ve scored the most points because we’ve managed to finish most of the races.

“I feel great. I’ve not changed my approach to my weekend because I’m always here to win races, but it feels good, and we deserve it as a team and for myself.”

2024 did not get off to the most auspicious of starts for Hadjar. Having put himself in contention for victory in Sakhir, he was the victim of first lap contact with Bortoleto at Turn 1 in the Feature Race, putting him out of the running after one corner.

Jeddah followed right away but his fortunes didn’t undergo a reversal, as he was on the sidelines before the end in both races, leaving him out of the top 10 in the Championship. His mentality never wavered though.

"It’s just down to me to deliver every weekend and I think I’ve done that nearly every weekend.”

Pairing that with Campos’ impressive start to the new era of F2 in the new car, Hadjar says it’s no surprise he has been fighting for top honours more often than not.

“I think that was the main thing that helped me. I was locked in. It was hard in the tough moments to analyse and not be angry. I knew I had insane pace in both of those rounds, but I’d been taken out and had a mechanical issue.

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“You know when everything is all set and when you don’t have any issues, you know that you’re going to fight at the front and that’s exactly what happened.

“Since then, we’ve had that really strong package, like Hitech have, we’ve seemed to have a really good car around every type of track. Then it’s just down to me to deliver every weekend and I think I’ve done that nearly every weekend.”

His impressive form also earned him an F1 opportunity earlier in the season, as he got a run out in the RB20 around Silverstone in Free Practice 1 of the British Grand Prix. He described the experience as “mind-blowing,” and is eager to get back there at some point through more F2 performances before the end of the 2024 campaign.

“Silverstone was mind-blowing. It was too short but that gives you the motivation to get back there.”

“Silverstone was mind-blowing. It wasn’t my first time in an F1 car but it kind of felt like it was because my experience up to that point was two FP1 sessions before that. I hadn’t got a lot of laps and last time was seven months ago in Abu Dhabi, so it felt like the first time.

“It came around a track that was basically designed for these cars. The high speed was so surprising. I needed more laps to adapt but I just enjoyed it so much. It was too short but that gives you the motivation to get back to that car, you want to stay there.”

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Ahead of racing resuming, Hadjar says he is expecting stiff opposition from now until the chequered flag falls at Yas Marina, but he sees no reason why his success will go away. The Campos driver says he will not be altering his approach in the remaining rounds even if the pack continues to close up as drivers and teams understand the new car more.

“We know that in F2 you can have a really complete weekend and then the next one, your rival can and then he’s ahead, so it’s really step-by-step.

“That’s what I’ve done so far this season, which is taking it session-by-session. If you think about the points all the time, then you won’t end up getting them. For me, it’s all about making the most of Free Practice, prepare for Qualifying where I think I’ve been good so far this year.

“I’ve got my first Pole in F2, I feel like we have good momentum and we’re aiming on having a good Qualifying and that’s the goal. The biggest points are scored on Sunday and that’s how we’ll score a lot of points from here going forward.

“The pack is getting tighter all the time. Because it’s a new car, everyone’s starting to understand it more and you can see there’s more and more competition. We will have a fast package until the end of the season that’s for sure. I like the fact that it’s more down to me though.

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Hadjar will be hoping that his performances continue, and he can add move victories to his 2024 record as he pursues another F1 outing in the future.

“For me, my goal is Formula 1. If I want to get a seat, it’s all about performing every weekend. It’s showing your best self every time you’re on track, you have to show something. “You have to have the speed, you have to have fight and make overtakes. I could count the points, take a safe approach every weekend and bring home the points, but that’s not what I’m trying to do here.”