Isack Hadjar may now hold the unhappy record for the shortest ever Formula 1 race debut having crashed at the first corner of the formation lap ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
The Racing Bulls rookie spun on the way out of Turn 1 in the slippery Melbourne conditions, breaking his car’s rear wing on the barrier and causing the race start to be delayed.
“Just embarrassed and sorry for the team,” said Hadjar.
“Just overdid it, overslipped the rears and once I lost the car, tried to save it, was just a passenger. It snapped so fast. I didn’t expect it.”
Hadjar didn’t use the wet track as an excuse.
“These mistakes, they can happen. It’s just breaking the car so early in the season really breaks my heart,” Hadjar said.
“I’m really sorry for the team. I’m missing out on more experience, especially in my first grand prix, missing out on a wet track. I wish I could be driving right now.”
And the fact that both fellow newcomer Jack Doohan and the experienced Carlos Sainz crashed in similar fashion on the first racing lap was no comfort either.
“Not at all. Not at all,” Hadjar replied when asked if their incidents provided any consolation.
“I would say my approach was not the right one and that’s it.
“We all know conditions are tricky and it can happen to anyone. But I didn’t want it to happen to me this early.”
Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony consoled Hadjar as he walked back through the paddock and he was also visited in the Racing Bulls team area by F1 chief Stefano Domencali.
Hadjar said Hamilton had urged him “just to keep my head high and tell myself I did well yesterday”.
“It means a lot,” he added, “knowing that he knew who I was, how bad I felt, to go and see me in the worst moment ever was a nice gesture from him and I really appreciate that.”
Hadjar had impressed up to the race, showing good practice pace and only narrowly missing out on a Q3 spot as he qualified 11th, something that reassured him “I think the speed is there”.
Asked if he was the kind of person who would be able to move on quickly from such disappointment, Hadjar replied: “I would say I’ve had similar moments, like low moments like this.
“This one is tough. But my way to F1 was also quite brutal and I would say I have a strong chin.
“But this one definitely hits pretty hard.”
