Isack Hadjar remains confident that he will be back behind the wheel for the upcoming Formula 1 round after a wrist injury forced him to sit out the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. The French driver injured his wrist during a routine boxing session earlier this month, a training activity he uses to stay fit during the summer break.
The fracture, described by Red Bull’s medical team as a small crack in one of the wrist bones, was deemed serious enough to miss the sprint weekend in the Netherlands, but not so severe as to jeopardise his participation at Monza, the venue for the Italian Grand Prix scheduled for 4‑6 September. In Hadjar’s absence, Liam Lawson stepped into the Red Bull seat for the Dutch event, marking his return to the senior team after being dropped earlier in the season.
Lawson’s comeback is notable because he becomes the first driver to race again for Red Bull after losing his contract, a decision that was influenced by his solid performances for the junior outfit Racing Bulls during the latter part of the 2025 campaign. While Lawson takes the vacant Red Bull car, his own seat at Racing Bulls is filled by Yuki Tsunoda, who will partner full‑time driver Arvid Lindblad for the remainder of the weekend. Sky Sports News reported that Hadjar’s injury was identified during a routine workout late last week.
After consulting with Red Bull’s medical staff, the team concluded that skipping the sprint at Zandvoort would give the young driver the necessary recovery time before the next race. Hadjar travelled to the Dutch circuit anyway to support Lawson from the pits and the paddock, and he expressed optimism that he will be fit to race in Italy.
The Italian Grand Prix, one of the season’s most historic events, will take place on the traditional Monza circuit from September 4 to September 6. Lawson, who was released from Red Bull after two under‑whelming outings last year, has managed to retain a place in the Red Bull stable by delivering strong results for Racing Bulls throughout the rest of the 2025 season.
At 24 years old, he has emerged as a midfield contender, achieving eight points‑scoring finishes and currently sitting ninth in the Drivers’ Championship – a position only behind the drivers from the top‑four manufacturers: Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull itself. Speaking about his weekend, Lawson said, "I've had a lot more races since then [being dropped from Red Bull].
I feel much more comfortable racing in this sport, but it's going to be a very challenging weekend, for sure." He added that the sprint format would require a rapid learning curve, "It's a Sprint weekend, so it's going to be a quick learning process. But that's what we're focused on, that's what we tried to do in the simulator. If we can try and speed up that learning process as much as possible, then that would help our weekend." Yuki Tsunoda, who has been watching the action from the sidelines all season, sees the substitute drive as an opportunity to showcase his talent and potentially secure a full‑time seat for the 2027 season.
His prospects are somewhat clouded by the recent contract extensions of Max Verstappen at Red Bull and the renewed deals for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari and Alex Albon at Williams, which limit the number of available top‑team seats. Tsunoda explained that he was on holiday in Greece when he received the call to step in for the Dutch Grand Prix, saying, "When I heard, I was like half excited, half still doubtful because anything can happen, but I was super excited too. It was all confirmed that I'm racing this weekend.
I'm super excited and physically I'm feeling ready. I've done a couple of TPCs [Testing of Previous Cars]. It will be my first time in this car but still, I'm very excited." He continued, "As far as I understand, I will be in the seat for now – this weekend – and also it depends on Isack's recovery.
I hope that recovery goes pretty fast. I'm not sure about the next Grand Prix but my objective is to have fun.
I've been waiting for a long time. I was watching the screen for the last few months. Since the season started, I've been dying to be in the car and compete with the drivers.
This moment I will just enjoy, and obviously give my 100 per cent performance. Hopefully that will bring some good results." The Dutch Grand Prix weekend also featured a packed schedule of support series, including the F1 Academy, Porsche Supercup and various qualifying sessions.
The sprint format added an extra layer of excitement, with a short, high‑intensity race determining the grid for the main Grand Prix. Sky Sports provided live coverage of every session, and viewers were encouraged to use the Chrome browser for an optimal video experience. Looking ahead, Hadjar’s recovery timeline will be closely monitored by the Red Bull engineering crew.
If his wrist heals as expected, he will rejoin the team at Monza, where the high‑speed nature of the circuit could provide a dramatic comeback narrative. Meanwhile, Lawson and Tsunoda will aim to maximise their points haul in the Netherlands, hoping their performances will influence future contract negotiations and secure their places on the grid for the remainder of the season. The situation underscores the unpredictable nature of Formula 1, where injuries, driver swaps and rapid strategic decisions can reshape a team’s fortunes within a single weekend. Fans can continue to follow the developments through Sky Sports’ live streams, the NOW platform, and updates on social media channels such as WhatsApp, ensuring they stay informed about every twist and turn in the championship race.