Hadjar loses his cool: Shoves fan who wanted a photo in the paddock

The modern-day paddock is turning into a “zoo”, according to Max Verstappen. In Mexico, that was illustrated by a minor scuffle involving Isack Hadjar. The French driver was summoned by the stewards following an altercation with a fan.

A video of the incident also emerged on social media after second practice. It shows Isack Hadjar walking through the paddock and posing for photos with fans when another approached him, phone in hand, hoping to take a selfie with him.

The Red Bull driver made it clear he was no longer in the mood for photos and used his hand to keep the fan at bay. However, the fan ignored the signal and continued trying to get into Hadjar’s personal space. At that point, the 22-year-old lost his temper and pushed the spectator away. The FIA stewards summoned Hadjar over the incident for 17:15 Central European time — citing “misconduct” in the summons.

This is precisely the sort of situation Max Verstappen recently warned about when comparing the paddock to a zoo. There are increasingly large numbers of fans and various VIP guests in the paddock, all keen to take away a souvenir of their visit.

“It’s like a zoo. It is often no longer possible to have a chat with someone. That’s not really possible anymore,” said Max Verstappen in Singapore. “So I mainly live from my room to the garage and the pit lane.”

“Even in our own hospitality rooms, there are many guests who want something from you. Of course they mean well, but I also need to be able to rest without being bothered all the time,” stressed the four-time world champion. “I know it’s part of it. And that, the more you perform and the more you’ve achieved, the more people want you to be. In that respect, it is also a good thing.”