Bahrain: In the lighter side of high-stakes Formula One testing, Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar sparked laughter across the paddock Friday after mistakenly pulling his car into the Mercedes pit box during a practice session.

The 21-year-old Frenchman, who is making his debut with the senior Red Bull squad this season, was returning to the pits in his RB22 when he veered into the service area occupied by the "Silver Arrows" crew.

The "Impromptu" Visit

The blunder occurred during the afternoon session on the final day of the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain. Hadjar brought his car almost to a complete stop in front of the Mercedes mechanics, who were waiting for driver Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes crew stood by for several seconds before gesturing for the Red Bull driver to move on.

The official F1 social media channels quickly shared the footage, labelling it an "impromptu visit" and triggering a wave of memes comparing the rookie to a traveller lost without GPS.

Pace and Performance

Despite the navigational hiccup, Hadjar’s on-track performance suggests a formidable debut season. After recovering from a hydraulic leak that limited his running on Thursday morning, Hadjar logged significant mileage on Friday, finishing sixth fastest with a lap time 1.941 seconds behind session-leader Antonelli.

Hadjar noted that the new Red Bull-Ford Powertrains engine has performed "way beyond" expectations, adding that his "gut feeling" is that the car is already capable of fighting for race wins.

While Red Bull downplayed their status, claiming to be the "fourth fastest at best," rivals, including Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff, have suggested the RB22 may be hiding a significant straight-line speed advantage.

The incident has done little to dampen the hype surrounding the Frenchman, who previously set the pace during the dry Barcelona shakedown in January before a notable crash in the wet. F1 teams will remain in Bahrain for a second three-day test beginning February 18, ahead of the season opener in Australia.