A meticulously planned running routine

Isack Hadjar also details his preparation before sessions and races. He explains that his routine is now very structured, after a more chaotic first experience in F1. "I was late," he says of his first race, adding that he warmed up "in a haphazard way." Over time, he says he has developed a routine with his coach: precise times, defined movements, music, then getting into the car. "It's all meticulously planned," he summarizes. As for music, Hadjar mentions French rap, Linkin Park, and Eminem, including tracks he also listened to with his father.

“Formula 1 was an inaccessible world for me”: Isack Hadjar opens up on France Inter

Q: "I was a Senna fan before I was a Formula 1 fan."

Isack Hadjar explains that he discovered Formula 1 through the documentary about Ayrton Senna. Even before following the championship, he says he was drawn to the driver himself: "I was a Senna fan before I was a Formula 1 fan." He also mentions the videos and compilations he watched on YouTube when he was younger. What interested him about Senna, according to him, was as much the character as the driver: his aggression on the track, but also his behavior off the circuit.

Q: Cars, Lightning McQueen and the beginnings of karting

Isack Hadjar then recounts the origin of his passion for cars. He associates his earliest memories with the film Cars. "My earliest memories since I was born are of Cars," he says in the interview. He also mentions his toy cars and imaginary racetracks in his family's apartment.

Q: A Formula 1 that has become more popular

Isack Hadjar also observes the change in Formula 1's status. According to him, the sport was much more niche when he was a child. At school, he says he was "alone in [his] obsession" with F1 and motorsport in general. He identifies a turning point with the arrival of Netflix and the modern media coverage of the discipline. "There really was a before and after," he explains. Today, he believes, F1 is followed by "very different" audiences, like any popular sport.

Q: "It's a family project."

Hadjar emphasizes the role of his parents in his journey. He describes his arrival in F1 as the result of a shared commitment: "It's a family project." The driver says he hopes his journey can serve as an example to other young people. "I hope it will be inspiring for future generations," he explains. He also mentions "moments of doubt" and "very difficult times." His parents, he recounts, didn't hold him back despite the very closed nature of motorsport. "They let me approach it with an open mind," he says.

Q: Manga, Dragon Ball, and a fighting mentality

The interview also touches on his cultural influences. Hadjar confirms that he is influenced by the "shonen mentality," particularly through Dragon Ball. He explains that this culture values taking on difficult battles, even when they seem hopeless. "That's the mentality I like," he says, citing Goku as a reference for this mindset. He then connects this idea to motorsport and his new role at Red Bull Racing.

Q: Verstappen as a direct reference

Isack Hadjar spoke at length about Max Verstappen, his teammate at Red Bull Racing in 2026. He described him as "the best driver in the world" and considered driving the same car as him a "huge opportunity." "I've always dreamed of competing against the best, at the highest level in the world," he explained. He also said he felt "very lucky" and "very privileged" to have access to Verstappen's data and to be able to observe his driving style.

Q: A family that does not come from motorsport

The driver clarifies that his parents don't come from a motorsport background. "I have a family of doctors and scientists," he says. For him, motorsport initially seemed like "an inaccessible world," something you only watch on television. Hadjar explains that he attended good schools in Paris while continuing to kart. "For a while, my studies were the priority," he says. When asked what he would have done without F1, he replies, "Probably judo." He says he started this sport at the age of four and still practices it whenever he can, especially when he's in Paris or Japan.

Guest of the show Regularly On France Inter, Isack Hadjar looked back on his career, his beginnings, his relationship with Formula 1, and his arrival at Red Bull Racing. The interview begins in Monaco, a circuit that Hadjar directly associates with Ayrton Senna. "When I was little, Ayrton Senna was my idol."he explains, before recalling that the Brazilian was for him the "King of Monaco". The Frenchman says he has worked extensively on this track using the simulator and videos, to the point of feeling a particular affinity for it.

Hadjar also recounts that his first victory in Monaco, in Formula Regional in 2021, left a lasting impression on him: "I was on cloud nine.", résumé-t-il.

Regarding the circuit's difficulty, the driver emphasizes qualifying. In Monaco, he explains, Sunday's race leaves little room for overtaking: the weekend therefore largely hinges on... "Pure performance on a single lap"His formula is clear: in Monaco, "101% means you're headed for disaster." During Friday's free practice session in Monaco, where the Grand Prix takes place this Sunday, Isack Hadjar, moreover, has crashed and burned.

"I was a Senna fan before I was a Formula 1 fan."«

Isack Hadjar explains that he discovered F1 through the documentary about Ayrton Senna. Even before following the championship, he says he was drawn to the driver himself: "I was a Senna fan before I was a Formula 1 fan." He also cites videos and compilations he watched on YouTube when he was younger. What interested him about Senna, according to him, was as much the character as the driver: his aggression on the track, but also his behavior off the track.

Cars, Lightning McQueen and the beginnings of karting

Isack Hadjar then goes on to discuss the origin of his passion for cars. He associates his earliest memories with the film Cars. "My earliest memories since I came into this world are of Cars." he said in the interview. He also mentioned his toy cars and imaginary racetracks in the family apartment.

The transition to karting happened very early. Hadjar recounts getting into a kart at the age of five and remembers it precisely. It wasn't just an occasional activity: "I was obsessed with it," he says, before adding: "It's my drug."

An acknowledged precocity

When asked about his age and the pressure of competing at the highest level at 21, Hadjar acknowledges that his career has been precocious. But he also says he grew up with examples of very young athletes already at the top, notably Kylian Mbappé and Mike Tyson. "At that age, they managed to do that. I want to do better."he explains. He adds that, when aiming for the very highest level, this precocity becomes almost the norm: "That's the norm if you want to be good at your sport."

A Formula 1 that has become more popular

Isack Hadjar also notes the change in Formula 1's status. According to him, the sport was much more niche when he was a child. At school, he says he was "alone in [his] delirium" around F1 and motorsport. He identifies a turning point with the arrival of Netflix and the modern media coverage of the discipline. "There really was a before and after."he explains. Today, according to him, F1 is followed by audiences "very different", like any popular sport.

"It's a family project"«

Hadjar emphasizes the role of his parents in his career. He describes his arrival in F1 as the result of a shared commitment: "It's a family project." "The pilot says he hopes his journey can serve as an example to other young people." "I hope this will be inspiring for future generations."he explains. He also mentions "Moments of doubt" and "very complicated moments"His parents, he says, did not hold him back despite the very closed nature of motorsport. "They left me innocent in my approach."he says.

Manga, Dragon Ball, and a fighting mentality

The interview also touches on his cultural references. Hadjar confirms that he is influenced by the "shonen mentality", particularly through Dragon Ball. He explains that this culture values going into difficult battles, even when they seem lost from the start. "That's the mentality I like."he said, citing Goku as a reference for the mindset. He then linked this idea to motor racing and his new context at Red Bull Racing.

Verstappen as a direct reference

Isack Hadjar speaks at length about Max Verstappen, his teammate at Red Bull Racing in 2026. He describes him as "The best driver in the world" and considers riding in the same car as him as a "Huge opportunity." "I've always dreamed of facing the best, at the highest level in the world."he explains. He also says he feels "very lucky" et "very privileged" to have access to Verstappen's data and to be able to observe his driving style.

A running routine "precise to the millimeter"

Isack Hadjar also details his preparation before sessions and races. He explains that his routine is now very structured, after a more chaotic first experience in F1. "I was late.", he recounts about his first race, adding that he had warmed up "Once again." Over time, he says he has built a routine with his coach: precise times, defined movements, music, then getting into the car. "It's all meticulously planned.", he summarizes. On the music side, Hadjar cites French rap, Linkin Park and Eminem, including tracks that he also listened to with his father.

A family that does not come from motorsport

The driver clarifies that his parents do not come from motorsport. "I come from a family of doctors and scientists."he said. For him, motorsport initially appeared as "an inaccessible environment", something that we watch on television. Hadjar explains that he was educated in good schools in Paris, while continuing karting. "For a while, the priority was studies."he says. When asked what he would have done without F1, he replies: "Probably judo." He says he started this sport at the age of four and continues to do it whenever he can, especially when visiting Paris or Japan.

"Fame is a pain."

Hadjar acknowledges that fame changes his daily life. When asked how he experiences this status, he simply replies: "It's annoying." He does, however, qualify this by stating that he receives mostly "Love and support" when he meets people. Regarding his ambition, Hadjar states that he doesn't run just to participate. He explains that he wants to reach the end of his career knowing that he has been "the best version" of himself.

“It’s not about doing laps in a Formula 1 car,” he said. His objective, as he put it, is to find out if he was “the best” in his field or if he was simply there “and nothing more.”