Lewis Hamilton is an icon among active F1 drivers (Image: Getty)
Isack Hadjar enjoyed a wholesome moment with during the official series photograph shoot in Bahrain, hopping down from his spot to fist-bump and greet the seven-time world champion.
Hadjar is entering his rookie F1 season with Racing Bulls, and while the French-Algerian racer is looking to establish a long and successful career with , it is one of the Milton Keynes squad’s longest-serving rivals who serves as his motorsport hero.
When Hadjar lines up on the grid at the season opener in Melbourne, he will race alongside Hamilton for the first time. However, the pair have shared the racetrack together in the past when the junior driver made his FP1 debut for AlphaTauri.
Upon completing his FP1 stint in Mexico City in 2023, Hadjar said on the radio: “Best day of my life, mate. That was incredible. Thank you. Is he pushing? I want to wave at Lewis! Haha.”
The 20-year-old’s admiration for Hamilton spans back to the earliest days of his career. “I grew up watching him,” Hadjar explained to the in 2023. “Since I was three years old, I’ve always been a fan of him and rooting for him until he won seven titles.
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Isack Hadjar is making his F1 debut with Racing Bulls (Image: Getty)
“I was really happy to actually be supporting the guy who was winning everything and I think he’s the most complete driver out there. Since I started single-seater racing, I got interested in Formula One even more and it was clear to me that Lewis was the guy to beat and the reference for me, so I’ve always looked up to him as the GOAT.
“I really love the guy and he just inspires me so much in everything I do. When I got into single-seaters, I actually started to understand how good he was because you’re in go-karts and you watch F1, you don’t really know what it is like to drive a racing car. When I started looking at him properly and seriously, I was like this guy is way too good.”
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While Hadjar is preparing for the biggest moment of his fledgling career, Hamilton is also undergoing a period of intense change. The 40-year-old swapped for at the end of the 2024 campaign, bringing an end to a 12-year partnership with the Silver Arrows.
After undergoing an extensive off-season TPC (testing of previous cars) programme in January and early February, Hamilton enjoyed a strong opening two days of pre-season testing and even set the fastest lap time of the morning session on Thursday.