Following an incident on Friday in the paddock in Mexico City, Isack Hadjar must appear before the FIA stewards on Saturday morning
Not a good Friday for Red Bull in Mexico: first, Max Verstappen was handed a one-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix following his tussle with Liam Lawson – and now Isack Hadjar also faces trouble.
It was only late on Friday evening that a video emerged on social media showing Hadjar making his way through the usually bustling paddock in Mexico City after practice. The 22-year-old (sixth in Friday’s results) is clearly in a bad mood after technical issues had hampered him at times.
The video shows a fan who clearly wants to take a selfie with the Red Bull driver. Hadjar seems reluctant, but the fan persists, and a few moments later Hadjar rather forcefully pushes the man aside.
An incident that did not go unnoticed: The FIA race stewards are now investigating a possible breach of Article 12.2.1.l of the International Sporting Code. Article 12.2.1.l is worded extremely vaguely. It merely states that “any misconduct” constitutes a breach, without setting out any specific guidelines.
#Hadjar, annoyed, pushes a fan aside at the #MexicoGP. The FIA is now investigating the misconduct. There could be consequences. #F12026 #F1 #Formula1 https://t.co/Nr9NYO7yWl
— Christian Nimmervoll (@MST_ChristianN) 31 October 2026
That said, Hadjar is unlikely to face a sporting penalty. The Sporting Regulations set the standard penalty for breaches of Article 12.2.1.l in Appendix B at 5,000 euros. However, if the stewards were to classify the incident as “very serious”, a harsher sanction could, in theory, be imposed.
Hadjar must appear before the stewards on Saturday at 10.15 am Mexican time (5.15 pm CET) to explain himself. No decision will be made on this matter until then.
As for Red Bull’s sporting performance, Technical Director Pierre Wache knows there are still areas that need work, “which we must address. It’s always about striking a balance between short and long runs. The trick is not to compromise the long-run balance whilst improving the short-run balance.”
Wache also identifies challenges relating to tyre overheating in the final sector. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic: “Let’s see what else we can get out of it. I don’t think we’re far off, and I hope we can challenge them [Ferrari].”