Hadjar's Back-to-Back Failures Leave Red Bull Facing Engine-Change Penalty

Fitting a fresh power unit would bring a pit‑lane or grid penalty that would all but end his chances of moving up the tight Marina Bay street circuit.

Overview

Hadjar suffered a terminal power‑unit failure in the Sprint and then lost gearbox function during qualifying on Saturday, forcing him to limp back and post no representative time.
Red Bull mechanics hurriedly swapped power‑unit components between the Sprint and qualifying, but the repairs did not hold and the car suffered a second failure under lights.
Officially listed 22nd in qualifying, Hadjar will actually start 21st because another driver’s penalty moves him up one slot, and the team is expected to fit a fresh power unit that will trigger a pit‑lane start or grid drop.
Hadjar publicly expressed strong frustration at wasted tyre allocation and the repeat failures, saying he was 'pissed off' and wanted a 'fresh restart' so he could race.
The team will hold an overnight debrief with team principal Laurent Mekies to decide on breaking parc fermé, a move that will draw scrutiny given Singapore’s poor overtaking and ongoing questions over power‑unit reliability this season.