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Red Bull has confirmed that Isack Hadjar will miss his third consecutive Formula 1 grand prix as he continues to recover from a wrist injury, ruling the Frenchman out of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
Liam Lawson will return to the RB22 alongside Max Verstappen, while Yuki Tsunoda will make another appearance for Racing Bulls. Red Bull said the decision was taken because Hadjar’s recovery is progressing positively, but he is not yet ready to return to the cockpit.
“While he is not yet ready to return to the cockpit, he will be in Madrid supporting the team,” Red Bull communicated on Monday evening.
Hadjar sustained a wrist fracture at the end of the summer break while boxing, which forms part of his regular workout routine. The injury forced him to miss August’s Dutch Grand Prix, prompting Red Bull to move Lawson into the senior team alongside Verstappen. Reserve driver Tsunoda was then handed an F1 comeback with the junior outfit.
The same driver arrangement remained in place for last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, with Red Bull unwilling to take unnecessary risks with Hadjar’s recovery. The latest decision extends that period of continuity into Madrid.
The timing of the Madrid race made Hadjar’s return particularly difficult. It follows Monza as part of a double-header, while Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies had already described a comeback at the brand-new Madring circuit as “tricky” for the recovering driver. The team has now confirmed that Hadjar will sit out a third race in succession.
Lawson’s return to Red Bull has so far been considerably calmer than his curtailed two-race stint at the beginning of 2025. The New Zealander finished seventh at Zandvoort, although an engine penalty prevented him from recovering to a points-paying position at Monza.
Tsunoda, meanwhile, scored his first point of the campaign in Italy by finishing 10th. That result remains subject to Audi’s consideration of an appeal against the stewards’ decision not to penalise the Japanese driver for causing an extra formation lap. The latest update on Hadjar’s recovery means both Lawson and Tsunoda will continue their substitute assignments in Madrid.
For further context on the situation before Red Bull’s latest confirmation, read our earlier report on Hadjar’s unlikely Madrid return.
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