Red Bull confirms "there is nothing wrong with Hadjar's recovery"

Hadjar’s recovery remains the priority

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says Isack Hadjar’s recovery from a wrist injury is progressing as expected, despite the French driver having missed the last three Formula 1 grands prix.

A conversation with seven-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez also persuaded Hadjar not to force his comeback. Marquez’s experience of returning too soon after breaking his humerus at the 2020 Jerez opener reinforced the importance of allowing the injury to heal properly.

“Isack is good, he's downstairs right now. Joke aside, there is nothing wrong with Isack's recovery,” Mekies said.

He added that the current timeline was normal for the type of injury Hadjar sustained. The team will reassess the situation in a week, giving it more than a full week before the next event. Hadjar will then be evaluated in the simulator, where Racing Bulls can assess how he responds to the constraints of driving.

Baku decision will come late

Mekies made clear that a return at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will depend on Hadjar’s physical condition rather than the calendar. If the driver is close to full fitness, the team will proceed. If not, Red Bull will continue to prioritise his recovery.

“What we don't want to do is, by having an early return, compromise his long-term capacity to come back to 100%,” Mekies said.

The uncertainty means Lawson must prepare for the next race with both teams. That workload will include factory work and additional preparation, with the driver potentially not knowing which car he will drive until the middle of the Baku race week.

Lawson admitted that preparing for two different cars was difficult. He said he had become increasingly comfortable in Hadjar’s car by the end of the Madrid weekend, but returning to his own Red Bull car would be challenging because the two cars are “completely different to drive.” The decision could remain unresolved until Wednesday or Thursday before Baku. The team’s planning will therefore continue against an uncertain driver line-up, with the 2026 Azerbaijan GP track map already highlighting the demands awaiting the drivers.

Lawson has scored 14 points in his three grands prix for Red Bull, holding ninth in the drivers’ standings and sitting 12 points behind Hadjar.