“Isack is different,” Helmut Marko told journalists after Isack Hadjar finished a sensational third at Zandvoort, answering a question about whether he believes the Frenchman can withstand the pressure of potentially being Max Verstappen’s team-mate.
Of all the Faenza team’s podiums, Sebastian Vettel’s Monza win excluded, this was probably one of the most solid. Yes, Zandvoort featured three safety cars and its share of incidents, but there was little freak lottery: a late retirement for Lando Norris elevated the rookie into the top three, and the rest was about pace, consistency and clean defending. Hadjar qualified fourth, kept George Russell’s Mercedes behind and stayed close to Verstappen for most of the race. It was a very impressive performance.
