Isack Hadjar Overcame "Nightmare" Seat Belt Issue at the Japan GP to Qualify P7

Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar earned a place in Q3 with an impressive qualifying performance at the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing P7.

Although the results were impressive, it was far from a smooth ride for the Frenchman, as he encountered several issues in the cockpit.

Since he couldn't exit the cockpit as the session was nearing its end, it was essential for a middle-field team to maximize the number of laps completed.

Hadjar faced difficulties in the first qualifying session, thinking he was likely to be eliminated, even describing it as "the worst scenario."

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During an interview with Sky Sports, Hadjar explained the pain he was under due to issues with his seatbelt.

"It was a nightmare, man - honestly, it was," Hadjar said.

"I just pulled through; honestly, I'm really proud of me, like the lap I did in Q1 with what I had, unbelievable."

The seat belt was fastened too tight and caused massive pain, though it was resolved after Q1.

"It was tough in Q1, because you don't have time to jump out the car," he told reporters.

"But for Q2 and Q3 it was just fine, so I could just focus on driving."

He called his lap in Q3 "nearly fantastic," though he did leave time on the table on a part of the lap.

"It's just not driveable" 📻

Isack Hadjar reports he is still struggling with the same issue he experienced in FP3 in the cockpit #F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/81e9RE2Jqf
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 5, 2025

"I left like a whole 10th in the final chicane," he said.

"So yeah, quite disappointing with that, but the rest was fantastic, honestly."

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Tomorrow's race may be influenced by rain, especially as early morning showers are anticipated. Rainfall during the event can lead to important opportunities or heighten the chances of errors.

As far as Hadjar is concerned, he is not bothered either way the weather goes.

"I mean, dry is the easy option," he said.

"I think I can pretty much stay where I'm at."

Go onnnnn Isack 😮‍💨 #VCARB #F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/GPV8TdhUTh
— Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team (@visacashapprb) April 5, 2025

"Rain is that I can fall quite back or gain a lot of position."

"So I don't know, I'll let the weather do the job."

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Hadjar must maintain his race pace in the car to secure his position, particularly with the drivers trailing him.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton aims to advance from P8, while Alex Albon has demonstrated notable speed in the Williams and will attempt to overtake the RB car.

Due to the limited running during practice, Hadjar is unsure about how the race pace will be tomorrow.

"Practice, the fuel load, it's too difficult to know what's going on," he told reporters.

"And also I had like the practice where, like the laps were really limited with all the red flags."

"So it didn't really make sense when you look at competitors."

"But the feeling was good, so it should be okay."

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