Lewis Hamilton's father, Anthony, shared that he went over to Isack Hadjar to console him because his 'heart sank' for the 20-year-old rookie. The Racing Bulls driver was visibly distraught after crashing out on the formation lap of his debut F1 race at Albert Park on Sunday.
Hadjar is one of six rookies on the 2025 F1 grid but was one of only three to make their debut in F1. His race ended before it even started, though, as he lost control of his car amid slippery conditions on the formation lap.
The French-Algerian driver could not control his emotions after a disastrous start and seemed to be in tears after he got out of his car, possibly overwhelmed by the whole situation. He was still visibly emotional by the time he walked back to the paddock, with his crash helmet still on.
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Lewis Hamilton's father, Anthony, was in the Ferrari garage to support his son, but when he saw a crying Hadjar enter the paddock after having crashed out, he went over to console the 20-year-old.
Anthony spoke to Sky Sports about the moment. The Briton shared that he felt extremely bad for Hadjar and thought about the sacrifices he and his parents made to get to this moment. Hence, he wanted to tell Hadjar to keep his head up.
"When I saw it happen, my heart just sank for him. Not just for him, for his parents, for everything that they've done, to work hard to get to this point. And it's like snatched from you. And I just felt terrible for him. So I just thought, 'you know what, I need to go tell this kid, keep your head high, walk tall, you're gonna come back.'"
"I think he's a phenomenal driver, you know, I really do. I think there is more to come from Isack than we probably have seen this weekend," Anthony Hamilton added.
This moment was shown live on the broadcast, and the Sky Sports commentators commended Anthony for his actions. Fans online have also lauded the 7x F1 champion's father for offering his support to the young rookie. It would have also meant a great deal to Hadjar, whose biggest hero in F1 is Lewis Hamilton himself.
Isack Hadjar shares what Lewis Hamilton's father said to him during the heart-warming moment
Isack Hadjar shared that Lewis Hamilton's father, Anthony, told him to be proud and hold his head high while consoling the rookie. Hadjar lost the rear end of his car while on the formation lap, crashing into the barriers at Turn 1.
The RB driver explained that he appreciated Anthony Hamilton's gesture as he shared what the Briton said to him. He said, via AOL:
“He told me to keep my head high and be proud, did well yesterday. It was a nice gesture from him.”
“I just lost the rear-end of the car, these cars in these conditions, they snap so fast," added Hadjar, explaining the incident.
Hadjar will look to bounce back up next weekend as F1 heads straight into the second race of the season in China at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Anthony Hamilton, on the other hand, will also be disappointed after witnessing a poor Ferrari debut for his son Lewis Hamilton, who finished 10th, rounding off a poor first weekend with his new team.
