Red Bull Formula 1 driver Isack Hadjar brought first practice to a premature halt at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix after crashing his RB22 at the exit of the Swimming Pool chicane. The incident occurred with approximately 24 minutes remaining in the 60-minute session, forcing race officials to deploy the red flag as marshals cleared the damaged car from the circuit.
The French-Algerian driver lost control when his car snapped into oversteer through the right-hand portion of the chicane complex. Despite Hadjar’s attempts to correct the slide, the Red Bull careened into the barriers in a head-on collision that caused significant damage to the car’s nose section. The driver was able to exit the vehicle without assistance and walked back to the Red Bull garage under his own power.
Speaking over team radio immediately after the crash, Hadjar expressed confusion about the sudden loss of grip. “I don’t understand like why it snapped off like that. I’m sorry,” the driver told his engineers as he reflected on the unexpected nature of the incident that ended his opening practice session prematurely.
At the time of the red flag interruption, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli held the top position on the timing sheets, leading the championship standings into the Monaco weekend. Home favorite Charles Leclerc sat second fastest for Ferrari, while Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell occupied third place. Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri completed the top five positions when the session was halted.
Red Bull’s mechanics now face a race against time to repair the extensively damaged RB22 before the second practice session begins at 5 p.m. local time. The team has several hours to complete the necessary work, though the extent of the damage from the Swimming Pool crash could present significant challenges for the crew ahead of FP2.