Isack Hadjar’s injury: what we know, who is standing in and when he could return

Update, 18 September: Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says there is “nothing wrong” with Hadjar’s recovery and that it is on target, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix a possible return. The team has clarified that the injury happened in training during the summer break. Red Bull has set conditions for his comeback, including medical clearance, and Racing Bulls has described the decision over where Liam Lawson drives next as a “nice problem”.

Isack Hadjar will miss a third consecutive race in Madrid, and Red Bull has stopped putting a date on his return. The wrist injury that ruled him out of the Dutch Grand Prix in August has, in the team’s phrase, seen the pain “persist” beyond what was expected, and a driver who started the summer as one of the year’s success stories now watches Liam Lawson drive his car while the 2027 driver market rearranges itself around his absence. This is where things stand.

The injury

Red Bull confirmed before the Dutch Grand Prix that Hadjar had an injury to his wrist and would not be fit to race. The team has not specified how it happened, and its updates since have been brief: a statement before Monza that the pain endured, a decision that week to keep Lawson in the car, and a second confirmation before Madrid that Hadjar would sit out again with Lawson continuing and Yuki Tsunoda returning at Racing Bulls. Helmut Marko’s public doubts over the timing of a return were reported after the Monza weekend. Wrist injuries are serious for a Formula 1 driver because of the steering loads involved, particularly at circuits with heavy kerbs, and Red Bull has been clear it will not rush him back.

Who is driving what

The shuffle has been unusual. Lawson, Hadjar’s former team-mate at Racing Bulls, was promoted to the senior car alongside Max Verstappen for Zandvoort and has stayed there. Tsunoda, dropped to reserve at the start of 2026, was recalled to fill Lawson’s Racing Bulls seat next to rookie Arvid Lindblad. Racing Bulls has called the arrangement “not ideal” for its own development. Lawson has had a mixed audition: a grid penalty and a pit-lane start at Monza, an incident that one rival called “his signature move”, and enough underlying speed to keep the question of the 2027 seat open. Verstappen, asked whether he helps his stand-in, said he “never asks”.

The podium he was not there for

The strangest part of Hadjar’s summer happened in a courtroom. In early September the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated penalties from May’s Monaco Grand Prix, stripping Pierre Gasly of third place and promoting Hadjar to his first Formula 1 podium, awarded four months after the race and while he was recovering at home. He called the result “even sweeter” for the circumstances. Our report on the Monaco ruling covers the fallout, including Flavio Briatore’s attack on the court.

What it means for 2027

Hadjar was promoted to Red Bull for 2026 as the team’s long-term answer to its second-seat problem, and before the injury he was eighth in the standings on 71 points, ahead of Lawson’s 51. That gap is closing while he sits out, and every race Lawson drives is evidence in a decision Red Bull must make this winter. Lindblad, publicly “disheartened” to have missed a call-up himself, is a third candidate. Our driver market analysis rates the Red Bull second seat as one of the winter’s most open questions. The best thing Hadjar can do about it is get fit.

When could he return?

The next round after Madrid is Baku on 26 September, a street circuit with heavy braking and hard kerbs that would be a demanding comeback. Red Bull will want him passed fit by the FIA’s medical delegate before committing, and a return at Sepang or Singapore looks more realistic. We will update this piece when the team confirms.

Frequently asked questions

What is the injury?

A wrist injury sustained before the Dutch Grand Prix. Red Bull says the pain has persisted and has not set a return date.

How many races has he missed?

Three: the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix.

Who is at Racing Bulls?

Yuki Tsunoda, recalled to partner Arvid Lindblad while Lawson drives the Red Bull.

Did he get a podium while out?

Yes. The appeal court’s Monaco ruling promoted him to third, four months after the race.