Red Bull Star Triggers Monaco GP Red Flag After Heavy Swimming Pool Crash
The opening practice session of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix was dramatically interrupted after Red Bull junior driver and Racing Bulls star Isack Hadjar crashed heavily at the famous Swimming Pool section of the Circuit de Monaco, bringing out the first red flag of the race weekend. �
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Hadjar was pushing for pace during FP1 when he lost control of his car on the exit of the high-speed Swimming Pool chicane. The rear of the car stepped out unexpectedly, sending the French-Algerian driver into the barriers with significant force. The impact damaged the front end of the car and tore off a wheel, immediately forcing race control to stop the session. �
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Fortunately, Hadjar emerged from the wreckage unhurt and climbed out of the car without assistance before walking back to the garage. Team radio messages revealed the youngster’s frustration and confusion over the incident as he apologized to his team after the crash. �
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The red flag halted running for several minutes while marshals recovered the damaged car and repaired the barrier. At the time of the accident, championship leader Kimi Antonelli was leading the timesheets, with Charles Leclerc and George Russell close behind. Hadjar himself had been showing encouraging pace and was running inside the top ten before the crash ended his session prematurely. �
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The incident served as another reminder of how unforgiving Monaco can be. The narrow streets leave drivers with virtually no margin for error, especially through the rapid direction changes of the Swimming Pool section. Just moments before Hadjar’s accident, Lando Norris had experienced a major slide at the same part of the circuit but managed to keep his McLaren out of the barriers. �
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For the Racing Bulls crew, attention immediately turned to repairing the damaged machine ahead of FP2. Monaco’s compressed schedule leaves teams with only a short window to complete major repairs, meaning mechanics faced an intense race against time to get Hadjar back on track for the afternoon session.
While the crash was a setback for the rookie, it also highlighted the challenge every driver faces around Monte Carlo. One small mistake is often enough to