Isack Hadjar’s return to Red Bull Racing is not yet guaranteed for the Azerbaijan GP. The team does not intend to rush the Frenchman’s recovery just to have him return for a specific race.
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Hadjar is out for the third consecutive race this weekend in Madrid, after suffering a wrist injury during the August break. After missing the Dutch GP and the Italian GP, he will also not be in the car this weekend at the Formula 1 Spanish GP, while Liam Lawson remains alongside Max Verstappen.
Hadjar traveled to Madrid and is accompanying the team, but was still seen at the circuit wearing protection on his fractured wrist. Therefore, his return to the cockpit is ruled out for this weekend.
The next opportunity would be the Azerbaijan GP in Baku, but Red Bull has not yet defined this race as the moment for his return. The team continues to adopt the same stance as in recent weeks and intends to wait until Hadjar is fully recovered before putting him back in the car.
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Laurent Mekies, the team principal, had already made it clear in Monza that the Frenchman would only return when fully fit. The team’s concern is to avoid a premature return that could hinder his recovery, and the situation will be reassessed as the Azerbaijan GP approaches.
The uncertainty also keeps Lawson as Verstappen’s teammate for longer. The New Zealander was moved from Racing Bulls to replace Hadjar at the Dutch GP and continued in the RB22 in Monza, as well as remaining in the car in Madrid.
As long as Lawson occupies the seat at Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda has the opportunity to continue competing for Racing Bulls. However, the participation of both in Baku will depend on Hadjar’s medical condition and remains undecided.
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