Red Bull Driver Isack Hadjar Summoned by FIA Stewards Over Paddock Incident
The Formula 1 driver faced a stewards' inquiry after a video showed him pushing away a fan in the Mexico City paddock.
Red Bull Racing driver Isack Hadjar found himself at the center of controversy during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend after a video circulated on social media showing him shoving a fan in the paddock. The incident occurred on October 30 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez following the opening free practice session.
Footage from the paddock captured the moment a fan entered Hadjar's personal space, appearing to put an arm around the driver or place a hand on his back while attempting to take a selfie. Visibly frustrated and rejecting the approach, the French driver pushed the fan away from his path as he made his way toward the Red Bull garage.
Late Friday night in Mexico City, motorsport governing body officials issued an official notice ordering Hadjar to report to the stewards' office on Saturday morning prior to the third practice session. The initial summons noted that the meeting was called to address an alleged breach of the rules regarding misconduct.
According to the stewards' report, the driver faced an alleged violation of Article 12.2.1.l of the International Sporting Code concerning misconduct related to the paddock incident. The rule allows authorities to penalize any words, deeds, or writings that cause moral injury or damage to the interests of motorsport and the governing body, with penalties ranging from fines of up to five thousand euros to more severe sanctions for serious offenses.
The paddock altercation followed a challenging start to the race weekend on the track for Hadjar. During the first practice session, the driver encountered a power unit issue that limited his track time and forced him to complete only twenty-one laps, leaving him eleventh fastest on the timing sheets and over 1.4 seconds behind session leader Charles Leclerc.
Hadjar's fortunes on the track improved during the second practice session later in the day once his mechanical problems were resolved. With the regular driver lineup back on track, he posted a lap time that placed him sixth overall, just 0.410 seconds behind Leclerc, while his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen finished the session in fifth place.
The weekend schedule at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez continued with the final practice session and the afternoon qualifying session, which determined the starting grid for the main Grand Prix event.