Racing Bulls’ rookie Isack Hadjar stole the show and delivered a career-defining performance at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, claiming his first F1 podium in just his debut season.
But what truly stole
the spotlight was Hadjar’s hilarious reaction to accidentally breaking his very first F1 trophy amid spirited celebrations.
The 20-year-old Frenchman finished third behind Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s four-time world champion, who secured second place in front of a jubilant home crowd in Zandvoort.
Hadjar’s breakthrough makes him the fifth youngest driver in F1 history to stand on the podium, offering a glimpse of what many see as Red Bull’s long-term future.
Isack Hadjar 🇫🇷 rompió su trofeo luego de lograr el 1° podio de su carrera 😂pic.twitter.com/PQB8u3Vtnk
— VSports Team (@VSportsTM) August 31, 2025
For Hadjar, who is of Algerian descent, the moment carried personal and sporting significance.
“It feels great. Max is someone I’ve been looking up to since my junior days,” Hadjar said.
“The last five years have been outstanding. To share the track, spend most of the race behind him, being within two or three seconds the whole time, and share my first podium with him on his home soil as well, I think it’s pretty cool.”
From Fourth on the Grid to Third on the Podium
Starting fourth on the grid — with Verstappen in third — Hadjar kept himself composed under pressure throughout the race. His podium came after Lando Norris, McLaren’s title contender, was forced to retire from second place with only seven laps remaining.
“It feels a bit unreal,” said Hadjar. “What was most surprising to me is keeping that fourth place for the whole race. But we did no mistake. The car was on rails the whole weekend and I’m really happy about myself because I really maximised what I had. Made no mistakes and brought home the podium. So, this is a first step, my first podium, and hopefully many more to come.”
Hadjar’s contribution has already been immense: he has scored 37 of his team’s 60 points from 15 races, underlining his immediate impact in the midfield fight.
With former Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies now promoted to team principal at Red Bull following Christian Horner’s exit, the rookie’s path to the top team could be accelerated.
(with Reuters inputs)
