Isack Hadjar won’t be at the Dutch Grand Prix, and Red Bull has picked a replacement.
Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar is expected to miss the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, according to reports. Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf says Hadjar hurt his wrist during a gym workout, and Red Bull acted quickly to handle the situation.
It’s said that Liam Lawson, who’s currently driving for Racing Bulls, is being lined up to take Hadjar’s place. Although Red Bull didn’t comment when asked, the New Zealand Herald reports that Racing Bulls confirmed Lawson will return to Red Bull to cover for Hadjar this weekend.
Lawson started the 2025 season as Red Bull’s second driver alongside Max Verstappen but was dropped after just two races. He was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, who is now Red Bull’s reserve driver after Hadjar took over his spot for 2026. According to De Telegraaf, Tsunoda will join Racing Bulls as a temporary teammate to Arvid Lindblad.
You might think Tsunoda would be the obvious choice to fill in for Hadjar since he has experience this season and has worked closely with both Verstappen and Hadjar. However, Tsunoda is reportedly in talks about moving to IndyCar in 2027, as he doesn’t currently have a clear path to a full-time Formula 1 seat. This may explain why Red Bull chose Lawson to step in instead.
Tsunoda has held talks with Meyer Shank Racing about taking over the #66 car for next season. Marcus Armstrong, who currently drives that car, is expected to switch to #60, replacing Felix Rosenqvist, who is moving to Arrow McLaren. Meyer Shank Racing runs two cars, plus they enter a third car occasionally when veteran Helio Castroneves races at the Indianapolis 500.
For 2027, former F1 drivers Marcus Ericsson and Alexander Rossi are locked into IndyCar, while Mick Schumacher and Romain Grosjean have contracts through at least the end of 2026.
Fun fact: The last IndyCar title winner was Jacques Villeneuve in 1995, back when it was called the CART Series. He then moved to F1 and won the championship in his first season. Nigel Mansell did the opposite, winning the F1 title in 1992 before taking the IndyCar crown in 1993.