F1's Elite Status Critisized - 'If Formula One Was As Accessible As Football'

Saajan Jogia | Aug 18, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) lead the field into turn one during the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Red Bull F2 driver Isack Hadjar is enjoying a standout season, leading the Formula 2 championship. Although the Frenchman is pleased with his current progress, he believes that Formula 1 must do more to make the sport accessible to emerging talents who struggle to reach their full potential due to the sport's elite nature.

Hadjar is currently leading the championship with Campos Racing by a satisfactory margin of 36 points, as four events remain on the F2 calendar. The young Frenchman made his Formula 1 debut with AlphaTauri (now VCARB) last year in Mexico, and last month, at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, he earned his first FP1 outing with Red Bull Racing.

However, climbing the ladder from his karting days to the junior series wasn't an easy task for Hadjar, considering the high costs associated with the training and development of young talent aspiring to race in the premier class. The 19-year-old driver criticized the high costs associated with the sport, which didn't open up opportunities to him as equally as they did for other young drivers who could afford the fees. Speaking to Redbull.com, he said:

"I didn't have such good memories of karting.

"In karting, I was never in the right circumstances. My father was in charge of mechanics for a very long time, while others had private teams. I was never able to finish the whole calendar or have the best engine. It was also frustrating to have to go back to school after a race, while others went testing because they were homeschooled. I never had that route."

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is a driver who came from a similar background where his family was unable to support his expensive endeavors financially.

However, Hamilton fought his way through his performance, which elevated him to the top tier of racing.

While he is being looked up to as a perfect example, Hadjar said that Hamilton was an exception. The junior driver went on to reveal the challenges that many young drivers such as him continue to face, unlike other sports such as football, where athletes receive equal opportunities. He added:

"He is the exception that proves the rule.

"The grid is not in good shape. A lot of drivers cannot maximise their potential because it is all so expensive. If Formula 1 was as accessible as football, the starting grid would have looked different now."

Fortunately for the French driver, he has been in the good books of Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko, who believes he could follow a path similar to that of reserve driver Liam Lawson. Lawson currently awaits a full-time F1 opportunity with either the Red Bull team or junior team VCARB.