Nelson Piquet Jr has delivered a blunt assessment of Isack Hadjar's reaction following his Miami Grand Prix crash, labeling the young driver's behavior as "childish." The incident has sparked debate across the Formula 1 paddock, with many questioning whether the Red Bull junior has the mental fortitude required to compete at the highest level.
Hadjar's weekend in Miami was already off to a rocky start. The Frenchman had openly expressed frustration about the performance gap between himself and Max Verstappen even before qualifying. But things took a dramatic turn when he crashed out at Turn 15, punching his steering wheel in a visible display of anger. Replays showed that Hadjar had damaged his suspension after making contact with the inside wall at Turn 14—a seemingly minor hit that proved terminal, leaving him with no control over the subsequent crash.
While the accident itself was costly, it's Hadjar's emotional reaction that has drawn the most scrutiny. Guenther Steiner was among the first to criticize the driver for letting his emotions get the better of him, while James Hinchcliffe raised concerns that this could signal the start of a troubling pattern. Now, Piquet Jr has joined the chorus of critics, and he didn't mince words.
Speaking on the Pelas Pistas podcast, the former F1 driver didn't hold back. "Hopefully, he won't let this one get to him too much, but it was entirely his own mistake, wasn't it?" Piquet Jr said. "There's no one else to look at, no one else to blame, it's just him."
Piquet Jr also pointed out that the upcoming races could prove even more punishing for Hadjar. Monaco, with its narrow, unforgiving street circuit, demands mental precision over raw speed, while Canada is equally notorious for testing a driver's composure. "He's got two tough ones coming up: Canada, which isn't an easy track, and Monaco, which is tricky too," Piquet continued. "I just don't think he's quite at the level yet. If the same thing happens in Canada and again in Monaco, then maybe he'll start to realise."
For a driver already under pressure to prove himself in Red Bull's fiercely competitive system, Hadjar's Miami meltdown has raised serious questions about his maturity. Piquet Jr believes that only through repeated setbacks will the young talent truly understand what it takes to succeed in Formula 1—a sport where mental resilience is just as important as raw speed.
