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Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar has confirmed he will serve a five-place grid penalty for the upcoming Formula 1 race at Sepang. Despite the setback, the Frenchman remains optimistic, pointing out that the Malaysian circuit offers plenty of overtaking opportunities to carve through the field.
Fresh from a double podium in Baku—the Austrian outfit's first since the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix—Red Bull face a formidable task to repeat that success. Rivals Mercedes are bringing a much-anticipated upgrade package for their W17, while Hadjar must also overcome his grid drop.
The French driver broke the news at Sepang on Thursday when asked by motorsport.com whether Baku was Red Bull's best chance for a win, or if recent upgrades provide confidence for strong results throughout the rest of the campaign.
"Yeah, it's a bit of both. I think Baku is naturally a track that suits our car very well. The upgrades helped, but on a more traditional circuit we'll get a clearer picture of where we truly stand against the rest. I expect us to be slightly less competitive here due to the layout. If we can still fight for a podium, that would be great, but it will be tricky for me with the five-place grid penalty."
Red Bull have declined to specify which power unit component will be replaced ahead of the race near Kuala Lumpur. Formula 1 regulations mandate a 10-place grid penalty for the first time an allocation limit is exceeded for any given element, with every subsequent breach incurring a five-place drop. As Hadjar has already exceeded the threshold for every engine component this season, any further replacement automatically triggers a five-place penalty.
While this puts Hadjar on the back foot before practice has even started, he remains confident that Sepang's layout will allow him to mount a strong recovery drive.
"Even with the penalty, I believe you can move forward here as long as you have the pace. If we can't make progress, it just means we weren't fast enough. That's the reality."
Hadjar also revealed that he is ready to go on full attack after recovering from a wrist injury. While he took a cautious approach in Baku, his game plan for Malaysia is completely different.
"The layout here allows you to push right from the get-go. It's wide and open with no walls close by, so you can search for the limit much earlier. In Baku, if you step over the line, you end up in the wall, which is why I took things step by step. This weekend feels completely normal for me, though, and I need to start taking risks right away."
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