Isack Hadjar takes aim at ‘that idiot’ in untelevised Japanese GP team radio
Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar faces the media at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
Untelevised team radio from the Japanese Grand Prix has revealed the moment Isack Hadjar branded Red Bull stablemate Arvid Lindblad an “idiot” following a tense battle at Suzuka.
Red Bull’s troubled start to the F1 2026 season continued in Japan, where Max Verstappen suffered a rare Q2 exit at a circuit where he had been unbeaten since 2022.
Isack Hadjar calls Arvid Lindblad ‘that idiot’ in Japanese GP team radio
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Verstappen could only recover to a distant eighth on race day with Hadjar finishing outside of the points in 12th.
Hadjar had a frustrating race at Suzuka as he found himself struggling to pass the Racing Bulls car of Lindblad, the only rookie on the grid this season.
And untelevised team radio from race day in Japan has uncovered the moment Hadjar called the youngster an “idiot” after finally winning the battle with Lindblad in the pit stops.
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Hadjar’s frustrations began early on at Suzuka, where he found himself gaining on Verstappen on the approach to the final chicane on Lap 2.
Hadjar positioned himself on the outside of the circuit as the pair entered the braking zone, with Verstappen forcefully defending the inside line.
That left Hadjar vulnerable to the Esteban Ocon on exit, with the Haas driver completing a pass on the main straight.
Hadjar was heard shouting over team radio: “Mate, come on!”
Hadjar was then left confused on Lap 5 when his race engineer, Richard Wood, informed him why he was left with no SOC (state of charge) on a previous lap.
The full exchange went as follows:
Wood: “Isack, when using boost out of Turn 14, you cannot lift after Turn 15 and go back full throttle. That’s what caused the SOC to run out.”
Hadjar: “What? Repeat!”
Wood: “OK, so, when using boost out of Turn 14, you cannot lift and go back to full throttle after Turn 15. So you have to keep it flat, full throttle all the way.”
Hadjar: “Yeah, why do we figure this out now?”
Hadjar encountered Lindblad a few laps later, with the Racing Bulls driver noticeably slow on the approach to the Degner corners.
Hadjar was then forced to follow Lindblad through the hairpin after the youngster defended the inside line into the left hander.
Hadjar: “Mate, what the f**k is he doing? Just moving like a…
Wood: “Yeah, I saw an onboard.”
Hadjar then lined up a pass on the inside of the chicane, with Lindblad moving across the track to block the move.
Hadjar: “Ah, come on man. He can’t do that.”
Wood: “Yeah, we’re reporting him. We’re reporting him.”
Hadjar: “Waaa!”
Lindblad left the door open at the hairpin a short time later, with Hadjar launching a move down the inside before being forced to back out as the Racing Bulls car turned in.
Hadjar: “**** moving around!”
Red Bull: “Yeah, he has been given a black-and-white flag.”
With Hadjar struggling to pass Lindblad on the track, the pit-stop phase became his best shot at overtaking the rookie.
Lindblad pitted first to guard against the undercut threat on Lap 18, with Hadjar following him in a lap later.
Lindblad’s race engineer, Pierre Hamelin, warned him that he would be close to Hadjar and Ocon, a fellow Lap 19 stopper, as the pair rejoined.
However, Ocon and Hadjar re-emerged comfortably clear of Lindblad, with the Red Bull man amused by his rival losing out.
Wood: “Box this lap, box this lap.”
Hadjar: “Copy.”
Wood: “So Strat 12 in the pit lane, Strat 12 in the pit lane.”
Hamelin: “Isack in the pit lane. Close to Isack and Ocon pit exit. Head down.
Hamelin: “OK Arvid [inaudible]. But head down, it’s still a long race. Concentrate on pace now, we can get some.”
Hadjar: “What happened to that idiot? Ha!”
Wood: “Don’t worry about him, mate. Eyes forward. Ocon’s ahead, let’s get him.”
Speaking after the race, Hadjar commented that both drivers lost time as a result of Lindblad’s aggressive defensive tactics.
He said: “He let Max through and defends against me. It makes sense for him, but it was not very useful for both of us.
“But it’s OK. He’s young.”
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