Isack Hadjar is expected to miss another Formula 1 round, despite recent rumors that he would return for the Spanish GP. According to Laurent Mekies, Red Bull’s chief, the Frenchman’s return is not yet treated as a priority, and the team considers it unlikely that he will be fit to compete at the Madrid circuit next weekend.
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Hadjar suffered a wrist injury during a training session in the F1 summer break. The issue has already kept him out of the Zandvoort and Monza rounds, forcing Red Bull to call on Liam Lawson, while Yuki Tsunoda took over the seat at Racing Bulls.
The recovery has been managed cautiously by the driver himself. Hadjar sought advice from Marc Márquez, seven-time MotoGP champion known for the various injuries he has faced over the past six years. On some occasions, the Spaniard had aggravated problems after returning to the track before the ideal time. The experience contributed to the approach adopted by the Frenchman, who prefers not to rush the recovery process.
Red Bull fully supports the decision: “Look, Isack is fine,” Mekies told the French broadcaster Canal+ during TL1 in Italy. “He can’t drive now, so obviously I won’t say he’s happy – because he’s not. But the absolute priority is his recovery. We have no reason to take risks with that. His season so far has been fantastic, he is very young, improves every time he drives the car, so it’s important that he returns when he is 100%.”
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“So, we will take the time needed, trust what he feels and the doctors’ guidance, and give him the time he needs. Soon we will be laughing about this, I’m sure.”
The possibility of Hadjar returning already in Madrid does not excite Mekies either. The official acknowledged that the short gap until the inaugural race at the new Madrid circuit makes the scenario unlikely: “Madrid is in a few days, so that’s complicated. We will reassess his situation, but aiming for Madrid is probably complicated. But we are taking things race by race and analyzing this together in a more rational way. Again, the priority, what will influence our decision, is to be sure he returns 100% and with zero risks for his future,” concluded the official.
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