Red Bull culprit found after investigation over Isack Hadjar DNF Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar’s retirement from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix was attributed to a power unit failure, according to an initial investigation. The incident occurred during his debut with the team, marking a significant setback for the Red Bull Racing squad as they transitioned to producing their own engines for the first time this season. Hadjar qualified third in the race, showcasing strong pace on his debut. However, he retired after completing just 10 laps. The investigation confirmed that the power unit failure was the primary cause of his early exit. Red Bull’s in-house Powertrains division, responsible for the engines this season, is now examining the incident ahead of the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix. The team has not yet determined which engine components will be retained for Hadjar’s power unit pool for the 2026 season. Hadjar expressed frustration over the situation, stating that he felt he was on track to take the lead before the power failure struck. “I started the race with no battery, so the launch was a very good launch. I was taking the lead easily,” he said. “Once I thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to take the lead,’ no more power. So that was great.” He added that the engine’s performance deteriorated rapidly, leaving him unable to continue. The issue was not related to the lack of power at the start of the race, which Hadjar clarified was a separate matter. He noted that the team had not simulated such scenarios during testing, highlighting the challenges of adapting young engines to the demands of a race. “We need to do better to avoid this from happening,” he said. “We didn’t manage to simulate it in the whole six days of testing, in free practice as well. It’s just new scenarios.#max_verstappen #red_bull_racing #isack_hadjar #powertrains_division #2026_australian_grand_prix
