Isack Hadjar has received a warning by the FIA for an incident with a fan in Mexico City. Image: XPB Images
Video of the incident, which took place ahead of Friday’s FP1 session, showed the Red Bull driver pushing a person who approached him for a selfie as he made his way towards the team garage.
Hadjar was summoned to the stewards on Saturday, with officials reviewing footage and hearing from the Frenchman and a team representative before ruling his actions breached the FIA International Sporting Code.
The stewards were told Hadjar was running late for practice, having already stopped to pose for a photograph with a young fan when another guest approached him aggressively.
“The driver initially resisted the move by placing his hand on the waist of the guest, holding him at bay, then the driver pushed him aside with his open right hand,” the stewards said in their report.
Although that push amounted to misconduct under Article 12.2.1(l) of the International Sporting Code, officials decided a formal warning was sufficient after identifying five mitigating circumstances.
They accepted that Hadjar was responding to an unwanted and aggressive approach while attempting to get through a crowded paddock before practice.
The stewards also considered that the guest had entered his personal space without permission, that he had inadequate security and that drivers regularly face difficulties navigating the paddock.
“One security person was walking behind him and was unable to intervene and prevent what was tantamount to an invasion of the driver’s private space,” the report added.
Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen has previously compared the F1 paddock to a “zoo” because of the number of guests and VIPs allowed inside.
Hadjar endured a disrupted start to the weekend on track, completing just 21 laps amid power unit problems and finishing 11th in FP1.
He recovered to sixth in FP2 before finishing eighth in Saturday’s final practice ahead of qualifying.