Isack Hadjar has spoken about his relationship with his motorsport role model, Lewis Hamilton, revealing they bonded over a game of Uno.
“I’ll take Hamilton’s example, he never won a title [racing dirty], he always won mano a mano. He’s very, very fair,” Hadjar told Clique. Asked if Hamilton is his main role model, he added: “In F1, yes. Him and Ayrton Senna.”
Pressed on why the seven-time champion resonates so strongly with him, the Racing Bulls rookie cited the Ferrari driver's pathway into the sport as well as his strong work ethic, which has seen him become not only one of the most successful drivers in the championship but also the owner of a number of businesses and the charity Mission 44.
“Yeah, if there’s one guy on the grid who deserves his spot and worked hard for it with his grit, it’s Hamilton. He was able to make the difference. Everyone knows of his super-inspiring journey. On top of this, humanly, he really is a great person.”
Hadjar also revealed a surprising moment between the two as they shared a game of Uno.
“Honestly, I don’t even know if anyone on the grid would suggest a Uno game to him! I think he’s happy that I ask him. Then, there’s obviously this age gap, the guy is 20 years older than me, so I can’t say ‘hey, you’re my mate, etc. ’ There’s a bit of a barrier. But I think it’s cool for him, having a youngster who’s a fan and wants to spend time with him. I play it cool with him.”
But the 21-year-old was clear that this respect won't translate to an easy time on track. When asked if this would affect his racing against the Ferrari driver, he replied: “No, especially not on track. There’s none of this. Even out of respect for him, if we end up on the same piece of track, I’ll give him a hard time – out of respect.”
The pair has been connected all season since Hamilton's father, Anthony, consoled the rookie after the Frenchman crashed during the formation lap of the Australian Grand Prix. Hadjar later called this a "special moment" as he revealed a message he received from Hamilton later in the day: “It was a nice moment, sharing time with someone like Anthony, the dad of my idol. It was quite a special moment. Lewis sent me a message later that day, so they’re really classy guys.”
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Singapore GP - Friday, in photos
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