Isack Hadjar charged from eighth on the grid to run in podium position during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia until a late battery problem derailed his chances. The Red Bull driver fell back to finish fifth, still progress from his penalised starting position but far less than he anticipated after showing strong pace throughout the race.
Hadjar had made the optimal choice for intermediate tyres at the start and moved up immediately, taking advantage of cars ahead that started on slicks. By lap six he had passed Liam Lawson to claim fourth place and initially had a good view of the battle featuring teammate Max Verstappen and the Mercedes drivers.
The Frenchman struggled for grip during the middle stint and couldn't match the pace of cars ahead, describing the car as horrible to drive. He was surprised to learn Lewis Hamilton had closed a 15-second gap in just a few laps, highlighting how much performance the Red Bull had lost.
During the final safety car restart, Hadjar gained a position when George Russell stopped on track but then encountered battery deployment issues in the closing laps. He couldn't defend against the Ferraris on the straights due to having no battery power, allowing Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to pass him for the podium positions.