Red Bull shares update on Isack Hadjar’s injury as big Azerbaijan GP decision approaches

Red Bull shares update on Isack Hadjar’s injury as big Azerbaijan GP decision approaches

Red Bull is giving Isack Hadjar a week to show he’s fit before deciding their lineup for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The 21-year-old driver hurt his wrist during boxing training in the summer break and has missed the last three race weekends. Liam Lawson has stepped in for him at Red Bull, while Yuki Tsunoda has been filling in at Racing Bulls. Even though Red Bull wants Hadjar back soon, they’re making sure he fully recovers before he races again.

Red Bull’s team boss, Laurent Mekies, said they’ll take this week to see if Hadjar will be ready to race in Azerbaijan. Hadjar hasn’t raced since the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26, which is about two months before the Azerbaijan race on September 26.

Mekies joked, “Isack is good, he’s downstairs right now. No worries with his recovery.” He explained it’s normal for this kind of injury and they’ll keep the same careful approach. “We’ll check again in a week, see how he feels, get him on the simulator, and if he’s close to 100%, he’ll race. If not, we’ll wait. We don’t want to risk his long-term fitness by rushing him back.”

This wait is tough not just for Hadjar but also for Lawson, who is unsure which car he’ll be driving in Azerbaijan – Red Bull’s or Racing Bulls’. So, Lawson is preparing with both teams to be ready for either option.

When asked about driving his usual car again, Lawson said, “The prep is tricky, switching between cars takes some getting used to. I feel good in this car now, but until the race weekend, it’s still not clear which car I’ll drive. That makes it hard to mentally prepare. But I’m getting more comfortable the more I drive this car. Switching back will be challenging since the cars are very different.”