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Red Bull’s Hidden Order: Hadjar Told Not to Pass Verstappen
123Helmets Editorial Team
Red Bull issued Isack Hadjar an unbroadcast order not to challenge Max Verstappen for position during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, according to radio traffic not shown on the world feed.
Key Takeaways
Verstappen passed Hadjar at the start of lap seven after Red Bull initially let its drivers race
Race engineer Richard Wood told Hadjar ‘race time is priority here’ before ordering him not to fight back
Hadjar started on soft tyres, Verstappen on mediums, but the softs proved both quicker and more durable
On lap 26 Hadjar was told to ‘keep it clean’ before Red Bull barred him from attacking Verstappen on the following lap
What happened between Hadjar and Verstappen
Red Bull allowed Isack Hadjar to race Max Verstappen for position early in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix before quietly shutting the fight down with a message that never reached television viewers. The radio traffic broadcast on the world feed suggested the team mates were free to battle it out, but a subsequent instruction telling Hadjar not to pass Verstappen was not played by FOM.
Verstappen made the move past Hadjar at the beginning of lap seven. Once ahead, he defended his position when Hadjar came back under pressure later in the race, with Red Bull’s race engineer Richard Wood telling Hadjar that “race time is priority here” as he discouraged further attacks.
Why the tyre strategy backfired for Red Bull
Red Bull’s differing tyre choice for its two drivers did not play out as the team expected. Hadjar started the race on soft tyres while Verstappen was on mediums, and the softs turned out to offer both better grip and greater durability, allowing Hadjar to remain close behind his team mate rather than fall away as anticipated.
Verstappen, meanwhile, initially closed in on Oscar Piastri ahead of him, who was also running softs. That progress stalled around lap 12, when Verstappen began to drop back, compounding the problem of Hadjar being stuck behind a slower team mate on tyres that were working better than planned.
How Red Bull managed the situation on the radio
Red Bull first asked Hadjar whether he could lap quicker without Verstappen in front of him, to which Hadjar indicated he was happy to stay behind at that point. As it became clear he was losing race time regardless, Hadjar raised the issue with Wood again but was left waiting for a reply.
At the end of lap 26, Hadjar closed on Verstappen and had a chance to attack into turn one. He asked Wood if he was allowed to pass and was told to “keep it clean.” That exchange took place before Verstappen moved to cover the inside of the corner where he had let Verstappen through 20 laps earlier, and it was the version broadcast on the world feed shortly afterwards.
The order that stayed off air
Red Bull told Hadjar on the next lap that he was not allowed to attack Verstappen again, a message that was not shown to viewers following the world feed. Soon afterwards, Hadjar began to complain about problems with his car’s handling.
The contrast between what fans saw and what was actually said on the radio meant the broadcast picture of a fair fight between the two Red Bull drivers did not match what unfolded behind the scenes.
“race time is priority here”
— Richard Wood, Isack Hadjar’s race engineer
“keep it clean”
— Richard Wood, Isack Hadjar’s race engineer
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This article was written with the help of AI tools. Editorial policy
