Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar fell from third to sixth in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix.

Hadjar was passed by both Ferraris into turn one as Red Bull’s trouble with race starts continued. He was the last of the frontrunners to pit on lap 25, which saw him drop behind the McLaren of Lando Norris.

The 22-year-old, hampered by throttle and radio issues in his second stint, was perhaps the unhappiest driver in the media pen afterwards.

David Coulthard: Isack Hadjar had to be reminded ‘who his employers are’ during US GP

While Red Bull opted to extend with Hadjar, they pursued an aggressive two-stop with teammate Max Verstappen, who came in on lap 13. Verstappen inevitably caught Hadjar on his fresher tyres.

The 2026 signing was told to let the sister car through into turn 12, but he initially protested.

“I don’t want to lose race time,” he said. “I can’t let [him] by. Sorry.”

Engineer Richard Wood replied: “No, mate, this is what we’re doing.”

That prompted David Coulthard to remark in commentary: “Let’s just remind you of the rules of engagement!”

Verstappen cleared Hadjar into turn 15 but still lost time following his teammate through the slow corners of 12, 13 and 14. The four-time world champion sarcastically thanked the pit wall for a ‘really good strategy there, struck in dirty air’.

“It may seem a bit harsh, but he is a serial winner, and one thing he knows is how you swap cars,” said Coulthard. “Isack’s having a good weekend, but he’ll be getting his wrists wrapped for that one.

“[He won’t have that debate] ever again, ever, ever, ever. For a moment, he was having an out-of-body experience and forgot who his employers are.”

Hadjar played the team game in Azerbaijan recently when battling with Verstappen, but briefly prioritised his own interests on this occasion.

Hadjar impressively lapped just four-hundredths slower than Verstappen on Saturday as he qualified in the top three for the third time. But for Coulthard, his increasingly frustrated radio messages showed that he still has a lot to learn.

“Isack Hadjar has had a really strong weekend, there or thereabouts with Max in qualifying, [but he’s] showing a little bit [of] his inexperience,” he said.

“We know he’s always very heart-on-sleeve with his radio communication.”

While Verstappen was also dissatisfied after finishing third on Sunday, Red Bull’s 23-point haul was enough for them to draw level with McLaren in the constructors’. If they prevail in that battle, it would reflect well on Hadjar’s contribution in his first year.

The Frenchman’s deal has already been extended for the 2027 season.