Isack Hadjar Cleared to Race for Red Bull in Baku

Isack Hadjar is back. Six weeks after a freak wrist fracture in the gym derailed his season, the Frenchman has been cleared to race for Red Bull at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The injury struck at the worst possible time, on the eve of the Dutch GP at Zandvoort, and immediately ruled him out of driving. Red Bull shut the door on any thought of rushing him back, sidelining him for the Netherlands, Italy and Spain while the wrist healed fully.

For a driver who has lived his life in a cockpit, the enforced break cut deep.

“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 admitted. He described himself as “just so excited to get back into my car” and underlined how unforgiving the next venue will be.

Baku is no gentle reintroduction. The street circuit punishes hesitation and punishes mistakes even more. Hadjar knows it: it’s a track “you need to be locked in for from the very start of the weekend”.

Red Bull’s medical staff and team management took the long view. No heroics, no half-measures. Only when everyone was convinced the wrist could withstand the violent loads of an F1 weekend did the green light arrive.

“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,” Hadjar said.

Lawson’s audition on the big stage

Hadjar’s absence opened a precious door for Liam Lawson, and the New Zealander did not waste the chance to remind the paddock of his quality.

Stepping up from Racing Bulls into the senior Red Bull seat, Lawson delivered points immediately: seventh at Zandvoort, then sixth in Spain. Solid, composed, and fast enough to make people look twice.

Monza told a different story, but the numbers barely scratch the surface. An engine penalty dumped him at the back of the grid, and any hope of a charge through the field disappeared when contact with Nico Hulkenberg damaged his front wing. From there, it was damage limitation.

“It's been overall quite positive,” Lawson reflected. “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.”

Those three weekends gave Lawson what he had been denied at the start of 2025, when Red Bull dropped him after just two races: a proper run to show what he can do in top-tier machinery.

Now the carousel turns again. With Hadjar back, Lawson returns to Racing Bulls.

Tsunoda steps back after sharp Racing Bulls cameo

That move triggers another change. Yuki Tsunoda, who had been drafted in as Lawson’s stand-in at Racing Bulls, will slip back into his regular reserve role.

Tsunoda’s adaptation to the 2026-spec F1 machinery came quickly. He hustled the car into the points at the Italian GP, a neat, disciplined drive that underlined his sharpness despite limited racing mileage. That single point is still under a cloud, though, as Audi’s appeal over a grid formation issue following an early red flag remains unresolved.

So the picture resets: Hadjar in the Red Bull, Lawson anchoring Racing Bulls again, Tsunoda waiting in the wings.

Baku, with its concrete walls, flat-out blast and knife-edge braking zones, is not a forgiving place to shake off rust. Hadjar has asked for patience, but once the visor drops on Saturday and Sunday, there will be none on offer.