Hadjar Confronts Alonso After Singapore GP Clash

Fernando Alonso's Criticism of Isack Hadjar at the Singapore Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso, a veteran in Formula 1, has voiced his concerns regarding the defensive tactics of Isack Hadjar during the Singapore Grand Prix. The 21-year-old French driver was labeled as “grumpy” by Alonso, highlighting the tension between the two drivers during the race.

Alonso, representing Aston Martin, had to overtake Hadjar twice during the Marina Bay circuit. The first overtaking occurred on lap 3 for eighth position, where Alonso took the inside line at the hairpin. The second happened on lap 37 for 13th place, as Hadjar, driving for Racing Bulls, faced a suspected engine issue and struggled to accelerate out of Turn 3.

The incident left Alonso frustrated, as he spent two laps stuck behind Hadjar’s struggling car, costing him approximately five seconds. On the team radio, Alonso sarcastically referred to Hadjar as “the hero of the race,” indicating his dissatisfaction with the situation.

Hadjar responded to the criticism after the race, stating that he kept the encounter clean and did not push Alonso off the track. “If he didn't enjoy that fight, then he's really grumpy and there's nothing I can do for him,” Hadjar remarked.

Despite the initial heat of the moment, Alonso later provided a more nuanced perspective on the incident. He acknowledged that Hadjar might have experienced an engine problem on the straights, which caused him to be slower. However, Alonso still felt that some unnecessary risks were taken during the battle.

“I think some unnecessary risk, but I understand that this is Singapore and you need to fight hard, and he did his best, but we lost time for sure,” Alonso said.

When the “grumpy” comment was brought up, Alonso downplayed the conflict, stating that some movements at 300km/h can be borderline in Singapore. “Everyone races as they want, and there was no contact, nothing like that, so everything is fine,” he added.

He also noted that Racing Bulls has a very fast car and does not have many points, suggesting that it is their problem. However, it should be noted that Racing Bulls actually has more points than Aston Martin, with the teams occupying sixth and seventh positions in the championship with 72 and 68 points respectively. Additionally, Hadjar has more points than Alonso, with 39 to 36.