Isack Hadjar delivers encouraging verdict after Red Bull doubts

Isack Hadjar has admitted the performance of the new Red Bull F1 car has exceeded his expectations following his initial experience behind the wheel.

Red Bull enjoyed a positive shakedown event in Barcelona last month before getting the RB22 back on the track in Bahrain this week at pre-season testing.

The car, particularly its power unit, has caught the eye of rival teams, with some drivers noting that it is able to manage and deploy energy more efficiently than other manufacturers.

Hadjar has joined the front-running F1 squad for his second season in the sport and admitted the performance has caught him by surprise.

“It's way beyond what I anticipated,” Hadjar told media including RacingNews365.

“The impressions last year, towards the end of the season, they were not very positive. 

“Let's say the rumours, even within the team, they were not really satisfied. In Barcelona, day one, I think I did like 110 laps straight away.

“It was a very positive surprise for a team that started the project three years ago. It's very impressive.”

Red Bull is entering the season with its own power unit for the first time in its history, built in collaboration with Ford.

The scale of the challenge saw Red Bull play down expectations ahead of the sport's new era - but Hadjar has stated his doubts have been erased.

“In Barcelona, I had many, many doubts and they cleared very quickly,” he said. 

“Of course, I still expect us to have issues during the season, it's normal, but a lot less than what I thought.”

When asked if he feels it is a car that cangive him a first grand prix win, Hadjar simply replied: “Yeah”.