Isack Hadjar Cleared to Return for Red Bull at Azerbaijan Grand Prix

BACK IN THE CAR

Isack Hadjar will be back in action for Red Bull at Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend after recovering from a fractured wrist suffered during a gym training session shortly before the Dutch GP at Zandvoort. The injury left him unable to drive, forcing him to miss races in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain while Red Bull opted not to rush his return.

"The last month has been tricky for me; it's the first time in my life that I've not been racing and that's a weird feeling to get used to," Hadjar said. "I want to thank Laurent [Mekies, Red Bull team principal] and the team for their patience throughout this process; it was important not to rush the decision and now I feel ready to get back to what I do best - driving." He said he was "just so excited to get back into my car" and stressed the importance of being fully prepared for Baku's street circuit, one he said "you need to be locked in for from the very start of the weekend."

LAWSON'S FILL-IN SPELL ENDS

Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson stepped into Hadjar's seat for the three missed races, scoring points with seventh at Zandvoort and sixth in Spain, though a tougher weekend at Monza saw an engine penalty and race-ending front wing damage from a clash with Nico Hulkenberg undo his effort. "It's been overall quite positive," Lawson said. "I managed to score in two of the three. I think Monza was tough just with the whole layout of the weekend, and then the engine penalty. Then obviously having damage in the race really ruined it for us. But I think overall we've had good speed."

Lawson, who had a difficult start to 2025 at Red Bull's main team before being dropped after just two races, welcomed the chance to show what he could do back in that seat. With Hadjar's return, Lawson goes back to Racing Bulls, and his own temporary replacement Yuki Tsunoda returns to his role as Red Bull's reserve driver. Tsunoda adapted quickly to the 2026 cars and scored a point at the Italian GP, though that result remains subject to an appeal lodged by Audi over a grid formation issue following an early red flag.

WHY IT MATTERS

Hadjar's return restores Red Bull's intended driver lineup heading into a demanding stretch of the calendar, while Lawson's productive stand-in run and Tsunoda's point-scoring appearance both strengthen their respective cases within the wider Red Bull driver pool for next season.