It was the day Isack Hadjar had been waiting for his whole life—his F1 race debut. The 2025 Australian GP weekend had started well for him, as he qualified P11, narrowly missing out on Q3. However, on race day, disaster struck as he crashed out even before the lights went out.
Hadjar could not control his VCARB 02 on the slippery Albert Park surface, lost control of it, and crashed into the barriers, damaging his rear wing beyond timely repair.
Naturally, Hadjar was devastated. Though his helmet was still on, the way he rubbed his eyes while walking back to the paddock made it seem like he was crying.
It was tough to watch the rookie in such despair, which is when Lewis Hamilton‘s dad, Anthony, stepped in to console him — a wholesome moment that quickly went viral and earned the Briton several plaudits.
Later, Hamilton Sr. explained, “As soon as I saw what happened to Isack, my heart felt, I just felt for him. It was just so sad to see…”
“I know how hard it is when these kids are 8 years of age and become a Formula 1 race driver,” he added. “There’s a lot of pressure, all the way up. I just wanted to give him a hug, I behaved like a father.”
Anthony Hamilton about comforting Isack Hadjar after he crashed:
“As soon as I saw what happened to Isack, my heart felt, I just felt for him. It was just so sad to see, I know how hard it is when these kids are 8 years of age and become a Formula 1 race drivers. There’s a lot of… pic.twitter.com/xvrcffHkT0
— sin ⁴⁴ (@44britcedes) March 16, 2025
Hamilton’s father knows all too well about the epic highs and crushing lows of competing in the pinnacle of motorsports. His son, a seven-time world champion, has endured immense challenges to carve out a niche for himself in the sport.
For Hadjar, Hamilton Sr.’s words might serve as valuable advice. “Anthony told me to keep my head high and be proud,” he revealed to Motorsport.com.
Despite this setback, Hadjar has only impressed the paddock. He was the highest-placed rookie in qualifying. Now, with this lesson in his rearview mirror, he can aim to bounce back at the Chinese GP next weekend.
