Isack Hadjar makes Malaysia race vow after being handed 'unfortunate' F1 penalty

Isack Hadjar has acknowledged it is “unfortunate” to take a grid penalty after matching his season-best qualifying result in Sepang.

The Frenchman entered the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia with a new engine, which came with the guarantee of a five-place demotion on the starting grid.

Red Bull showcased strong form throughout the event and kept up its competitiveness in qualifying, with Max Verstappen scoring his first pole position of the year.

Hadjar's third-place result marks the second time he has placed in the top three this year, but with his penalty applied, he will start the race from eighth on the grid.

“It's a bit unfortunate to take the penalty on the track where we're fast,” he said. “For me, I'm confident we can go through the field and come back for a good result.”

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Hadjar 'enjoying' Red Bull since injury return

Hadjar's showing continues his strong form that he had on display in Azerbaijan last week, where he bagged his second podium of the year.

The event in Baku was his first outing since his return from injury, having missed the three grands prix that followed the summer break.

Addressing his uptick in performance since his return, Hadjar added: “The car has been very good since last week.

“It's good to come back at such a time, and I'm enjoying it, fighting for the top three, even though it wasn't my finest qualifying session. 

“It's a good feeling.”