That year, the British driver was trying to win an unprecedented eighth world championship. Hadjar says Hamilton’s performance in Brazil is his favourite F1 moment ever.
Hamilton won that race from 10th on the grid as he hunted down Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. They were level on points heading into the Abu Dhabi finale.
Heading into the final stages, the Mercedes driver was leading and on course to win the championship. But Nicholas Latifi’s crash brought out the safety car and, by regulation, the race should have finished under those conditions.
It did not, enabling Verstappen to snatch the win and the championship from Hamilton on the final lap.
Isack Hadjar was ‘all in’ for Lewis Hamilton at 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Speaking on The Red Flags podcast, Hadjar admitted that he was desperate for Hamilton to prevail against Verstappen, who will be his 2026 teammate at Red Bull.
The end of the race, which is arguably the most controversial in F1 history, left him ‘smashing the TV’. Mercedes considered challenging the result but elected not to in the interests of the sport.
Hamilton says Abu Dhabi 2021 will always be a ‘scar’, and it increasingly looks as if it will be his last opportunity to win a title.
“I was alone in my room,” Hadjar recalled. “I was all in for Lewis! There’s no cameras, there’s no mic, it’s just me in front of my screen, smashing the TV, and that’s it!
“Obviously, I was happy for Red Bull, because at the end of the day, it’s not Mercedes who gave me a shot in F1. They didn’t sign me, so I felt bad for him, but mixed feelings.”
‘You know he’s going to brake late’ – Isack Hadjar on racing Lewis Hamilton
Next year, Hadjar and Hamilton may become rivals after the former joined one of F1’s front-running teams. They have already been introduced on track, though.
Hadjar was relieved that he reached F1 before Hamilton, now 40, retired. He has been able to experience the Ferrari driver’s ‘high-level’ racing first-hand.
Hamilton and Hadjar have formed a bond this year. The veteran, along with his father, supported the newcomer after he crashed out on the formation lap before his debut in Australia.
He said: “I remember when I was watching TV as a kid, I was like, ‘I hope he doesn’t retire, I want to get there when he’s still racing. My first year in F1 is his first year with Ferrari, so it’s quite iconic in a way.
“To be here and racing him, it’s a huge privilege. I got to race him a few times this year. Obviously, I’m not going to open the door! You know it’s Lewis, you know it’s going to be high level, you know he’s going to brake late.
“[He’s given me] a lot [of advice], not so much racing, but just in life. I got to spend a few moments with him.”