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Isack Hadjar’s injured left wrist has improved considerably since the Red Bull driver chose to sit out the Dutch Grand Prix, RacingNews365 understands. Both the Frenchman and his Milton Keynes-based team are hopeful the setback was a one-off and that he will be back in the cockpit for next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Hadjar sustained the injury while training ahead of the trip to Zandvoort. He elected not to race as a precaution, with the decision designed to prevent further aggravation and protect his recovery. The latest assessment has strengthened optimism around his return, although a final decision will not be made immediately.
A definitive call is expected next Wednesday, shortly before the Italian round gets underway. That timing is intended to maximise the available rehabilitation period before Hadjar is asked to return to a Formula 1 car.
The assessment is expected to include medical checks. Simulator running is also viewed as a viable way to evaluate whether the 21-year-old is ready to race, although it remains unclear exactly how Red Bull plans to use the simulator in its decision-making process.
The situation follows a reshuffled Red Bull and Racing Bulls line-up at Zandvoort. Liam Lawson moved into the second RB22 alongside Max Verstappen and delivered an impressive performance, finishing seventh on his return to Red Bull. Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, deputised for Lawson at Racing Bulls and finished 11th, ahead of regular driver Arvid Lindblad and just outside the points.
Lawson’s display gives Red Bull a proven short-term option, but the team’s preference is clearly to establish whether Hadjar can safely resume his campaign. The latest recovery news is encouraging, yet the medical checks and simulator evaluation will determine whether that optimism can translate into a race start.
For additional context on how Hadjar’s absence was handled at Zandvoort, see our report on when Racing Bulls learned of his wrist injury.
Should the one-time podium finisher be unable to compete, Red Bull and Racing Bulls will likely retain the same driver pairings used at the Dutch Grand Prix. Until the final checks are complete, Hadjar’s Monza participation remains hopeful rather than confirmed.
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