Sun Apr 06 05:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Rookie Hadjar Qualifies Seventh in Painful Japanese GP Qualifying
**Suzuka, Japan** – Isack Hadjar defied excruciating pain from his overly tight seatbelts to secure a stunning seventh-place qualifying position for the Japanese Grand Prix. The Racing Point rookie battled through Q1, reporting a “nightmare” experience on team radio due to the tight restraints, nearly crashing before his team resolved the issue.
“It was a nightmare, man,” Hadjar told Sky Sports after qualifying. “I just pulled through; I’m really proud of the lap I did in Q1 with what I had.”
Hadjar’s impressive performance overshadowed a disappointing qualifying session for his new teammate Liam Lawson and newly-promoted Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda, both of whom failed to reach Q3. The qualifying session comes amidst significant team changes following the swap of Tsunoda and Lawson. The focus now shifts to the race itself, with Hadjar aiming to capitalize on his strong qualifying performance.
First Piper 