Hadjar Holds Monaco Podium: Red Bull’s Principality Display Moment

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123Helmets Editorial Team

MONACO GP RECAP

Isack Hadjar keeps third place at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix after stewards closed the investigation into Red Bull’s pit work during the late red flag. The result hands the rookie his first Red Bull podium and a livery moment worth a permanent spot in any collector display.

Key Takeaways

Hadjar finishes P3 at Monaco — his second career podium and first for Red Bull

Stewards take no action under Article B5.14.4.a after Red Bull reverted the car

Antonelli wins ahead of Hamilton, extending his championship lead

The Red Bull RB22 livery and Hadjar’s matte navy lid headline the podium visuals

A Principality result that rewrites Hadjar’s season

The Monaco Grand Prix delivered the kind of finish that turns a rookie into a household name. Isack Hadjar crossed the line third on Sunday 25 May 2026, and after a four-hour wait for stewards to close the file on a technical query, the result was confirmed. It is his second career podium and his first since joining Red Bull from Racing Bulls, where he had previously stood on the rostrum at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli took victory for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton second for Ferrari and Hadjar completing the top three. For a circuit where overtaking is rare and tyre management often decides the outcome, the 78-lap race produced an unusually busy script — including crashes for Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll, and a mid-race red flag for track surface failure between Turns 18 and 19.

The red-flag drama that almost changed everything

The race was suspended at 16:55 local time when the asphalt between Turns 18 and 19 began breaking apart. Cars were recovered to the pitlane while marshals patched the surface, and teams were permitted limited work under the technical regulations.

Red Bull mechanics were observed working on car number 6 in a manner that scrutineers flagged as a possible breach of Article B5.14.4.a. The stewards’ bulletin noted the team had attempted to change spark plugs and coils, then stopped and reverted the car to its prior state without replacing any part. Because the change was not completed, no sanction was applied — and Hadjar kept his trophy.

Inside the stewards’ verdict

Article B5.14.4.a sets out exactly which items a team can touch during a red flag. Tyres, front wing flap adjustments and limited cosmetic work are permitted. Engine internals are not. When scrutineers approached the Red Bull garage, the mechanics stopped and the car returned to its earlier configuration.

The verdict read plainly: “The team were reported as attempting to change spark plugs/coils but did not proceed with the change and the car started in the same condition as it arrived in the pits, therefore no further action is taken.”

Why the outcome matters for the championship picture

Had Red Bull been penalised, Hadjar would likely have lost the podium, and the points swing would have pushed Mercedes further clear at the top of the constructors’ table. Instead, Antonelli’s 25 points for the win, combined with Hadjar’s 15 for third, reshuffles the midfield order behind the leading two teams. Antonelli now heads the drivers’ standings after six rounds, with Hamilton chasing in second.

Hadjar’s helmet: a display-grade Monaco specification

For collectors, Monaco is always a date to circle. The narrow grandstands, the harbour backdrop and the slow procession through the tunnel make every helmet design more visible than at any other round. Hadjar’s 2026 Red Bull-era lid leans into that visibility.

Colour blocking and finish

The base shell is a deep matte navy, broken by a diagonal red flash that mirrors the Red Bull RB22 sidepod livery. The crown carries a gloss black panel with the French tricolore running front-to-back, a nod to Hadjar’s Paris roots. The chin bar features a brushed silver insert — a finish that catches the Mediterranean light during the slow run through Sainte Devote.

Why this specification suits a full-size 1:1 replica

A display piece lives or dies on contrast. Hadjar’s Monaco helmet has three distinct finishes — matte, gloss and brushed metal — across a single shell, which makes it a strong exhibition quality candidate. On a 27 × 35 cm presentation plinth under directional lighting, the matte sections absorb glare while the gloss tricolore lifts the eye toward the visor strip. The replica weight of roughly 1.45 kg sits comfortably on standard collector stands without tipping forward.

The podium tableau and livery details

The Monaco rostrum is the most photographed in the sport. With Antonelli in Mercedes silver-and-petrol, Hamilton in Ferrari rosso corsa and Hadjar in Red Bull navy-and-red, the 2026 edition produced a three-helmet line-up that any display shelf would welcome.

The RB22 livery in close-up

Red Bull’s 2026 car retains the matte navy base introduced in 2022, but the bull graphic on the engine cover has been enlarged and the yellow accent now runs further along the floor edge. Hadjar’s number 6 sits in white on a red roundel just behind the halo. Under parc fermé lighting the contrast between the matte body and the gloss number panel is striking — and it is the kind of detail that translates well onto a 1:1 helmet shell when paired with matching livery photography.

Trophy hand-over and visual moments

The Monaco trophy presentation took place on the royal box balcony at 17:42 local time. Hadjar lifted the bronze plate above his head with the helmet tucked under his left arm — the classic podium framing collectors look for when sourcing reference images for a display build.

What this result means for Hadjar’s collector profile

Two podiums in 18 months is a strong opening chapter for any driver, and it tends to spike interest in early-career helmet designs. Hadjar’s 2025 Racing Bulls Zandvoort lid and his 2026 Red Bull Monaco specification now book-end his rookie-to-Red-Bull arc — a natural pairing for a two-helmet display.

Display pairing ideas

A side-by-side exhibition of the Zandvoort and Monaco helmets tells the team-progression story in a single glance. The Racing Bulls lid carries a white-and-blue base; the Red Bull version flips to navy-and-red. Mount them at matching 1.2 m eye-level on a shared shelf, with 40 cm of separation, and the colour transition reads clearly from across a room.

For single-helmet displays, the Monaco specification stands alone well. A dark-walnut plinth or a black acrylic cube under a 3000 K warm LED will pick out the brushed silver chin bar without washing out the matte navy.

“The team were reported as attempting to change spark plugs/coils but did not proceed with the change and the car started in the same condition as it arrived in the pits, therefore no further action is taken.”

— FIA stewards’ verdict, Monaco GP

FAQ

Q: Did Hadjar keep his Monaco podium?
Yes. The FIA stewards took no further action against Red Bull after the team reverted the car during the red flag without completing the work, so Hadjar’s third place stands.

Q: What was the alleged breach?
A potential breach of Article B5.14.4.a of the technical regulations, which restricts the work teams can perform during a race suspension. Red Bull mechanics were observed attempting to change spark plugs and coils.

Q: Is this Hadjar’s first F1 podium?
No. It is his second career podium and his first for Red Bull. His first came with Racing Bulls at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix.

Q: Who won the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli won for Mercedes, ahead of Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari and Isack Hadjar for Red Bull.

Q: Are the 1:1 helmet replicas suitable for track use?
No. Every helmet at 123Helmets.com is a display piece and collector item only — full-size 1:1 exhibition quality replicas, not intended for any protective purpose.

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Display and collector replicas only. Not certified for protective use. Full-size 1:1 scale.