Christian Horner is at odds with Helmut Marko over the Austrian’s unsympathetic reaction to Isack Hadjar crying after crashing out on the formation lap of his F1 debut.
The Racing Bulls driver was seen emotionally coming to terms with the bitter blow following the mistake that ended his Australian Grand Prix before it had begun.
Hadjar, who explained how “embarrassed” he was, had impressed on the season-opening trip to Melbourne, qualifying P11, but the treacherous conditions at Albert Park caught him out.
Losing traction under acceleration on a street marking at the semi-permanent circuit, the 20-year-old was helpless to prevent his VCARB 02 sliding into the wall.
Fellow rookie Kimi Antonelli called the white lines a “killer” and they also caught out Jack Doohan, who retired from his home grand prix on the first lap after a heavy shunt.
Whilst Lewis Hamilton’s father, Anthony, shared a poignant moment with Hadjar in the aftermath of his crash, Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko was less impressed by the Frenchman’s emotions.
However, Horner was nonetheless more understanding of the tears, given the gravity of the crushing moment.
“It was quite heart wrenching to see him so gutted,” the 51-year-old told media including RacingNews365. “You know, his first grand prix.”
Horner: ‘You forget that these guys are just kids really’
Like Hamilton, the team principal of the Milton Keynes-based squad had some kind words of encouragement for Hadjar.
The Briton highlighted how well the driver of the junior team performed over the weekend, underlining an “awful lot of positives” the Frenchman can draw from his debut, despite the circumstances.
“I think the positives he needs to take out of it when he reflects on the weekend,” Horner said. “He performed very well through the practices and the qualifying. You forget that these guys are just kids really.
“Obviously a lot of emotion for him today, but I think when he strips it back, there’s an awful lot of positives he can take out of the weekend. He’s got many bright days ahead of him.”
