Isack Hadjar has already lost 21 positions on the first lap in the first seven Formula 1 races—Red Bull is working intensively on a solution
Red Bull’s poor starts are increasingly becoming a serious problem in the 2026 Formula 1 season. Isack Hadjar has been particularly affected, having lost a total of 21 positions on the first lap alone in the first seven Grands Prix. Ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, the Frenchman is therefore hoping above all for an improvement at the start.
Both Red Bull and its sister team, Racing Bulls, have struggled with starts since the start of the season. The issues appear to be related to the new powertrain from Red Bull Ford Powertrains, which, while considered powerful, only functions optimally within a very narrow operating window during the start.
Hadjar has felt the consequences particularly acutely. In Barcelona alone, he dropped from sixth on the grid to 13th after an anti-stall issue: “I think we’ve only had one really good start so far this year, namely in the sprint race in Canada,” explains Hadjar. “The first start in Monaco was also good. But at every other start, I’ve lost positions.”
Hadjar suspects technical causes
The Frenchman emphasizes that, in his view, the cause does not lie with the driver. “To be clear: It’s definitely not human error on my part,” he says. “The procedure is simple, and I know how to execute it. There’s something deeper behind it.”
After the race in Barcelona, he clearly addressed the priorities within the team. “I told the engineers that this is the most important issue after Barcelona. We worked intensively on it last week. Let’s see how it feels starting with the first free practice session. In Barcelona, however, it was the case throughout the entire weekend that the car wouldn’t move at all when engaging the clutch.”
Max Verstappen confirms the problems
Teammate Max Verstappen has also had problems at the start on several occasions this season, but has usually been able to limit the consequences. Only in Monaco did his car stall at the start, forcing him to retire from the race early.
“If you look at my starts this season, they haven’t been particularly good overall,” says Verstappen. “That’s definitely an area where we need to improve. Right now, we have some limitations with the engine, the clutch, and similar things that we need to optimize.”
Racing Bulls has also recently experienced similar difficulties. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad lost a combined ten positions on the first lap of the Barcelona Grand Prix.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledges that the company’s first in-house-developed Formula 1 power unit still requires further development: “Our starts have been weak so far. That’s part and parcel of our first year as an engine manufacturer.”
“We’ve learned that we still need to improve many aspects and better coordinate the chassis and power unit,” Mekies continued. He generally acknowledges that the new power unit has great potential, but still sees room for improvement in its starting performance.
“We have a very good power unit, but it has a very narrow operating window. That makes things a bit more difficult in many areas. That’s part of the learning process in the first year.”
