Marko brands Hadjar emotions 'embarrassing' after F1 debut misery

Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko has called Isack Hadjar's tearful reaction to crashing out on the formation lap for the Australian Grand Prix "embarrassing."

TV cameras picked up the distraught Racing Bulls driver emotional response, which the 81-year-old was less than impressed with.

It means Hadjar technically did not start his F1 debut in Melbourne, having lost control of his car in the second corner of the Albert Park Circuit.

Under acceleration the 20-year-old lost traction on the slippery white road lines of the temporary street track.

It made him powerless to prevent his VCARB 02 sliding into the wall, sustaining critical damage in the process.

Having grown up idolising Lewis Hamilton, the Frenchman shared a touching moment with the father of the seven-time F1 drivers' champion, Anthony, who told him to keep his "head high" after the unfortunate incident.

Although, that could not save his obvious feeling of desolation over how the opening round of his F1 career ended, explaining how "embarrassed" he was.

It was not the shunt, however, but the reaction that Marko, who is heavily involved in the Red Bull young driver programme, took umbrage with.

"Isack Hadjar did a little bit of crying after his crash," the Austrian told ORF afterwards. "That was a bit embarrassing."

Despite his error, the 2024 F2 runner up put together a strong weekend, looking solid through the three free practice sessions before qualifying for the grand prix in P11, narrowly missing out on a debut trip to Q3.