Following team orders discussion over the radio: a telling-off for Isack Hadjar after the US Grand Prix?

In the most recent Formula 1 race in Austin, Isack Hadjar was asked to let his Red Bull Racing team-mate Max Verstappen past. This was because the two team-mates had been on different strategies. The four-time champion was following a two-stop strategy and therefore pitted for a tyre change on lap 13.

Verstappen then quickly closed the gap on his team-mate, who was in turn asked over the radio to make way. Hadjar initially resisted, arguing that he did not want to lose time during the position change: “I don’t want to lose time, I can’t let Max past, sorry.”

The response from the pit wall was unequivocal. His race engineer, Richard Wood, explained: “No, my friend, this is how we’re going to do it.” At Turn 15, the Frenchman – who finished the race in sixth place – finally pulled over. Verstappen finished the race in third place.

Isack Hadjar: His take on the team orders debate

After the chequered flag, Hadjar explained: “Max came flying past and it was a confusing situation for both of us. Then I let him past. But I cost him time because he was driving in the slipstream behind my car. And I lost time when I let him through.”

Former F1 driver David Coulthard, who was commentating on the race for ‘F1TV’, said: “We should remind ourselves of the rules of the game.” He added that, even given Verstappen’s track record, the ordered position swap had been the right decision.

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“It might seem a bit harsh, but he’s a serial winner, and if there’s one thing he knows, it’s how to swap positions. Isack’s had a good weekend, but he’ll have to face a telling-off for this. He’ll probably never have this discussion again. He must have forgotten for a moment who his employer is,” added the Scot.