Cover Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar
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Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar opens up about his first Formula 1 season, securing a historic podium, the unique challenge of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, and the quiet daring that defines his partnership with Tudor
Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix this October, Isack Hadjar slipped into Tudor’s boutique at Ion Orchard with the relaxed ease of someone unfazed by the high-octane weekend ahead. While the 21-year-old French driver for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) was in town for his debut race on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, he also took the time out to meet a handful of invited media, including Tatler, to chat about his journey into Formula 1, the exciting race ahead and the season so far.
“I’ve watched the Singapore Grand Prix on TV every year since I was a kid, and I’ve always wanted to drive this track,” said the rookie. Until this season, his experience of it had been limited to the simulator. “I’m really craving the chance to drive it for real. I think we’ll be competitive too.”
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Above Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar
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Hadjar belongs to a new generation of Formula 1 drivers: globally minded, socially tuned-in and unafraid to reveal the human side of elite sport. But he is also unmistakably old-school in his appetite for challenge. His path to Formula 1, he shared, was far from assured. “I don’t think I was expected to make it to Formula One, not where I come from. It was a very difficult journey, but I always believed in myself. I dared to go up against the best in junior categories and prove I could beat them.”
That spirit proved prescient in August, when Hadjar secured his maiden Formula 1 podium at the Dutch Grand Prix—becoming the youngest French driver in history to do so. The achievement has sharpened his ambitions. “Either second place or first place,” he said simply when asked what comes next. “The only way is up.”
For any driver, Singapore presents a formidable test. The humidity, the technical corners and the intensity of racing under lights make it one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar. For Hadjar, this only adds to its allure. “It’s a very technical and twisty track,” he said. “It’s not high-speed, but I really like the flow of it. And honestly, racing at night adds a special feeling. For some reason, everything feels a bit accelerated, and you always feel like you're going faster than during the day.”
Preparation for this race begins long before the visor comes down. “It’s going to be a very tough one,” he admitted. “I’ve prepared by spending a lot of time in the sauna recently.” Acceptance, he added with a smile, was part of the process: “I know it’s going to be hot and humid, but I like that challenge.”
Above Hadjar at the Tudor boutique in Ion Orchard
Hadjar at the Tudor boutique in Ion Orchard
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Naturally, at a Tudor event, talk turned to timepieces. On his wrist was the Black Bay Chrono Carbon 25, a sculptural piece in carbon composite. “This watch is what I really like,” he said. “I’m always dressed in black and white. It’s part of my uniform, but it’s also a watch that I wear in my daily life. I enjoy wearing it and it’s very light as well.” Hadjar is also forthright about what makes a modern man: “Modern man needs to wear a good watch,” he said with a grin.
Despite the glamour associated with racing, Hadjar’s off-track personality skews understated. “Honestly, I like staying home. I like my Uggs,” he admitted. His non-negotiable travel essential? “My AirPods. I once forgot them and had to go back home to get them. It’s very important for me to have music on.”
His playlist oscillates between nostalgia and adrenaline. “Sometimes when I feel nostalgic, I go back to the songs I used to listen with my dad on the roads to the go-kart tracks—like the 80s, a bit of Depeche Mode, Linkin Park. To get me hyped before the race, it’s a bit of French rap.”
Above Hadjar at the Tudor boutique in Ion Orchard
Hadjar at the Tudor boutique in Ion Orchard
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On race day, his routine is executed with near-ritualistic precision. “My routine is very timed,” he said. “Always start the warm-up at the same time. Get in the garage at 2:10. I always get in the car 10 minutes before the race. Always jump from the left-hand side of the car, never the right.” The moment the belt clicks, he says, he becomes ‘one with the car’.
For Hadjar, Singapore is more than a race; it is a long-imagined milestone. “Since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to race here,” he said. That sense of fulfilment was matched by the energy he felt from local fans. “Singaporeans, they’re just very nice people and very welcoming,” he shared.
Confident, composed and unmistakably driven—Isack Hadjar embodies the modern young athlete: one who is born to dare and presses forward. When asked whether another podium was in him, his answer was matter-of-fact: “I definitely have it in me. I can’t predict when, but if everything lines up, I’ll be there.”
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Images: Tudor
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Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
