Isack Hadjar & Laurent Mekies: Trust, Teamwork & Targets | F1 Beyond The Grid Podcast

Summary of the video (F1 Beyond The Grid Podcast)

The episode centers on Isack Hadjar’s return from a wrist injury, his new Red Bull seat/contract for 2027, and how team principal Laurent Mekies views Hadjar’s progress and role in the team’s future direction.

1) Isack Hadjar’s injury update and comeback plan

• Hadjar says his wrist injury is not fully healed yet, but it is “good enough” to drive.
• He worked on recovery with simulator time, including 100+ laps after the last scan, and has adapted to the pain and limitations.
• He explains the injury occurred after a gym mishap (conditioning/punching a bag) and that he initially feared a fracture—only to learn he’d be out for weeks.
• His immediate goal was to assess whether he could return for specific races:
  • He attempted a comeback around Monza, but it didn’t work due to insufficient strength/mobility, effectively ruling out that window.
  • His main target became Baku, which he now says he’s ready to attack at full fitness.

2) Decision-making, medical advice, and psychological impact

• Hadjar followed guidance from the team’s physio/trainer and sought additional perspective from Marc Marquez (MotoGP champion), who urged him to take it easy and clarify what not to do.
• Psychologically, he says it doesn’t bother him emotionally to see another driver in his seat, but it hurts to watch the gaps in development, especially missing out on track-specific learning and feedback.
• He also reflects on learning from others’ feedback—such as discussing car feedback comparisons with Liam Lawson, using Lawson’s viewpoint from a different setup to identify potential improvements.

3) New contract for 2027: trust, long-term commitment, and motivation

• Hadjar presents the contract as a response to recent setbacks, emphasizing Red Bull’s trust during his injury period.
• He describes the deal as long-term security rather than a “wildcard” opportunity, allowing him to focus on:
  • building momentum
  • strengthening relationships at the factory
  • continuing his development as a driver
• He stresses that he still maintains personal pressure—having a contract doesn’t remove his internal drive to perform.

4) Season reflection and comparisons to Max Verstappen

• Hadjar says his confidence improved later in the season, especially after regaining race rhythm from Canada onward.
• He describes Verstappen as:
  • creating consistent benchmarks across a lap
  • maintaining near “flat” performance (not depending on single peak moments)
  • gaining small execution advantages and timing differences that compound into lap time
• Hadjar sees his own challenge as facing the “prime of the prime” level in F1—while also valuing it as a crucial developmental step at his age.

5) Monaco and steward-related aftermath

• Hadjar describes Monaco as a rollercoaster:
  • He had a difficult run in the car, with mechanical/equipment issues mentioned.
  • He then achieved a strong result (third), but the situation evolved afterward.
• He notes that stewards later applied a penalty to Pierre, altering positions and stripping points, which he found emotionally frustrating because it felt like a loss after the better race.
• Despite the final outcome, he says the main satisfaction was the performance recovery and what the podium represented—contrasted with his earlier podium at Zandvoort.

6) Laurent Mekies’ perspective: readiness, reassurance, and team direction

• Mekies says Hadjar’s recovery was long and disciplined, including a simulator focus so intense they couldn’t easily pull him away.
• On why the contract was announced now, Mekies explains:
  • the team was already satisfied with Hadjar’s development
  • formalizing it now also ensured Hadjar felt fully supported during recovery, away from the track
• Mekies highlights Hadjar’s improvements across multiple areas:
  • progressively faster laps
  • better technical feedback
  • improved engineering interaction
  • stronger qualifying and race-pace progress
  • improved tire management and evolving KPI trends
• He emphasizes that Red Bull is not doing a “rebuild”—they’re focused on continuous improvement after lacking the fastest car this season, working through chassis and power unit efforts within an ongoing perfection-driven culture.

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Presenters / Contributors

• Isack Hadjar
• Laurent Mekies