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Isack Hadjar’s radio outburst over Arvid Lindblad shows he can’t yet handle Red Bull pressure

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An intense battle with Arvid Lindblad brought out the worst in Isack Hadjar, who got incredibly flustered during the Japanese Grand Prix.

Isack Hadjar managed to finish P12 at Suzuka, after a frustrating race that saw him drop out of the points halfway through.

As for Racing Bulls, they had a far better weekend, as Liam Lawson finished in the points with P9, while Arvid Lindblad had to settle for P14.

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Oscar Piastri leads at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix
Photo by David Mareuil/Anadolu via Getty Images

Lindblad earned more praise than Lawson despite having a worse result than his teammate. But he also managed to frustrate his Racing Bulls predecessor during the race.

While Red Bull will be more preoccupied with the possibility of Max Verstappen retiring, the performance and outburst from Hadjar should also concern them.

READ MORE: Isack Hadjar must take immediate action at Red Bull to prevent the gap to Max Verstappen increasing

Oliver Bearman of Great Britain and Haas F1, Arvid Lindblad of Great Britain and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls and Isack Hadjar of France and Oracle Red Bull Racing talk during the F1 Photocall at Bahrain International Circuit on February 11, 2026 in Bahrain, Bahrain.
Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar was furious during his battle with Arvid Lindblad

At several points during the first half of the Japanese Grand Prix, Isack Hadjar found himself behind Arvid Lindblad and trying to pass him.

However, at each point, Lindblad managed to fend him off with some great, albeit risky, defensive manoeuvres that left Hadjar frustrated. And each time, Hadjar let Red Bull engineers know over the radio how annoyed he was.

“What the f— is he doing? He’s moving like that!… Come on, man, you can’t f—— do that… What the f— man? Stop f—— moving!”

This outburst, as entertaining as it may have been for fans, proved that he isn’t ready for the pressure that comes with being the second Red Bull driver.

Hadjar getting so easily flustered, especially by a rookie driver from a sister team, so early in a race isn’t a good look for a driver representing one of the top four teams in Formula 1.

While some fans might argue that Max Verstappen, who can also be temperamental at times, is no different, his equity as a four-time world champion and one of the best drivers in the world has earned him the right to fly off the handle from time to time.

Whereas Hadjar, who is in his second season and struggling to fend off a rookie, shouldn’t have such an outward reaction under pressure.

While there is no denying Hadjar is under a lot of pressure at Red Bull, he isn’t handling this pressure the right way.

READ MORE: Laurent Mekies shares why ‘worried’ is the wrong word for Red Bull feelings about Mercedes dominance

Arvid Lindblad is showing he is Red Bull’s future, but they can’t make the same mistake again

On the other side of this battle, Arvid Lindblad handled himself very well. While he wasn’t able to hold off Hadjar for the remainder of the race, he showed real maturity in the way he defended against Hadjar.

So far, Lindblad has aced his run with Racing Bulls and is showing true potential as a future Red Bull driver. However, this is also a cause for concern.

Since Sergio Perez’s departure, Red Bull have made the mistake of promoting young drivers into the second seat alongside Max Verstappen.

Liam Lawson struggled in the role and was demoted to Racing Bulls, while Yuki Tsunoda’s experience didn’t help him when he finally got called up to Red Bull either.

Now, Hadjar’s struggles with Red Bull should show them the risk that comes with promoting a young driver to the team before they are ready.

Lindblad has a bright future, but Red Bull calling him up too soon, potentially if Max Verstappen leaves them, could jeopardise his development.

Red Bull must ensure they don’t make the same mistake they did with Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar and allow Lindblad to develop at his own pace.