Hadjar keeps Monaco podium after post-race investigation for alleged red flag infringement
Isack Hadjar has officially retained his podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix after stewards opted to take no further action following a post-race investigation into an alleged red-flag infringement.
The race proved challenging for the Red Bull driver, who revealed after the event that he had been struggling with significant driveability issues throughout the afternoon. Meanwhile, it was an early disappointment for Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen, whose race ended on the opening lap due to a mechanical problem.
Despite the difficulties, the French-Algerian Hadjar crossed the line in fourth place and was later promoted to third after Alpine’s Pierre Gasly received two separate five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane.
However, Hadjar’s podium result briefly came under threat when race officials announced an investigation into potential rule breaches during the red-flag period. According to the Technical Delegate’s report, mechanics from Oracle Red Bull Racing were observed working on car No. 6 during the race suspension, carrying out procedures that appeared to be prohibited under Article B5.14.4.a.
The report stated that the mechanics ceased work when questioned and returned the car to its original condition without replacing any components.
Following a hearing involving Hadjar and a team representative, the stewards concluded that no regulations had been breached. In their final ruling, they noted that while the team had appeared to be preparing to change spark plugs or ignition coils, no replacement was ultimately carried out and the car restarted in the same condition in which it arrived in the pits.
As a result, no penalty was issued and Hadjar’s podium finish was confirmed.
Reflecting on the race, Hadjar expressed his satisfaction with the result after overcoming both technical issues and a difficult start to the weekend.
“At the restart, I felt like I had a good launch and suddenly there was hope,” he said. “I lost two places, but I knew the car ahead had a penalty. I was dealing with limited power and had to push harder than ever through the corners just to stay within five seconds of Pierre.”
He added: “Considering how the weekend started in FP1, it’s an outstanding result. I didn’t have much confidence early on, but we managed to turn it around, so I’m really happy.”
