Hadjar's warning fits the push, and the stewards' own reasons point at the paddock
Isack Hadjar got a formal warning from the Mexican Grand Prix stewards for pushing a paddock guest before first practice.
Isack Hadjar pushed a paddock guest on his way to first practice at the Mexican Grand Prix. The stewards answered with a formal warning, the lightest sanction they have. Footage of the moment went round social media on Friday and appeared to show him pushing someone who had tried to take a selfie. The Red Bull driver was then called before the stewards on Saturday morning over what the summons described as "alleged misconduct".
What the stewards say happened
The stewards' account is calmer than the clip. Hadjar told them he was running late for FP1 and had stopped for a photo with a young fan when a guest came at him aggressively. One security person was walking behind him and couldn't intervene. Hadjar first put a hand on the guest's waist to hold him back, then pushed him aside with his open right hand.
That second movement is the breach. The Race reported it as a breach of article 12.2.1.l of the FIA International Sporting Code, the article covering misconduct.
Five reasons in Hadjar's favour
The stewards then set out five mitigating circumstances, following the guidelines in Appendix B of the code. RaceFans published the full list from the decision. Hadjar was reacting to an uninvited, aggressive move by someone else. He was trying to reach the start of FP1 through a congested area. He didn't have enough security with him. The guest was invading his personal space without consent. And drivers in general have had problems getting through the paddock.
The first point explains the push. The third is the one we'd underline. A driver heading to the Red Bull garage, late, through a crowd, with a single person behind him who can't step in, is in a situation he didn't design. The stewards described the guest's approach as close to an invasion of his private space, and the last item on their list reaches beyond Hadjar to every driver who makes that walk.
A warning for the driver, nothing yet for the walk
We think a warning is enough. The push was a breach and the stewards said so plainly. But their decision shows most of what went wrong around Hadjar wasn't his doing: the crowd, the timing, the thin security and the guest who came at him.
The sanction deals with the driver. The fifth point on the list is aimed at the paddock itself, and nothing is attached to it. The stewards have now put in writing that drivers struggle to move through it. What to watch is how many people are walking with Hadjar the next time he heads through the paddock to the Red Bull garage for a session.
