Isack Hadjar will sit out the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid as he continues to rehabilitate a fractured wrist sustained during the summer break. The French driver’s injury, a hairline fracture incurred while participating in a routine boxing workout, has already forced him to miss the Dutch, Italian and now Spanish rounds of the championship. In his place, Liam Lawson will step back into the Red Bull seat for a third consecutive event, partnering Max Verstappen for the weekend.
Lawson, who has been shuffling between Red Bull’s main team and its junior outfit Racing Bulls, will take the wheel while Yuki Tsunoda remains with Racing Bulls for the Spanish weekend. Red Bull issued a statement confirming the driver swap: "After competing for the team at Zandvoort and Monza, Liam will continue to race alongside Max at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The decision has been made as Isack’s recovery progresses positively.
Although he is not yet ready to return to the cockpit, he will be present in Madrid to support the crew. Everyone at Red Bull Racing looks forward to welcoming Isack back behind the wheel very soon." Lawson’s recent performances have been a mixed bag.
In the Netherlands, he qualified just one-tenth of a second off Verstappen’s pole time and finished the race in seventh place – a respectable result compared with his two outings for Red Bull at the start of the 2025 season, after which he was temporarily dropped. At Monza, Lawson’s qualifying run was cut short in Q2 after being hindered by Oscar Piastri on his fastest lap.
The race itself proved challenging: a pit‑lane start due to engine penalties was followed by contact with Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg during a standing‑restart, necessitating a front‑wing change. Despite these setbacks, Lawson managed to claw his way back to 14th place, while Verstappen secured a podium finish. Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, has delivered solid performances for Racing Bulls.
He finished a position ahead of teammate Arvid Lindblad in the Dutch Grand Prix and earned a valuable point by finishing tenth at Monza. The Monza result, however, may be under scrutiny as Audi plans to appeal an incident that occurred during the standing restart, where Tsunoda inadvertently entered the wrong grid slot, prompting an additional formation lap. The 26‑year‑old Frenchman, who was released from Red Bull’s senior team last season, expressed optimism ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, hoping to attract interest for a 2027 seat.
"I’m free! I’d love to hear those calls, but nothing concrete yet," he said. "It’s encouraging that things are moving in a positive direction.
My primary goal remains to secure a place in Formula 1. In this sport, anything can happen, but we all know how difficult it is to land a seat." The weekend’s schedule is packed with action across the Formula categories.
On Thursday, September 10, the drivers’ press conference begins at 2 p.m., followed by the paddock uncut at 5 p.m. Friday’s program includes F3 practice at 8:50 a.m., F2 practice at 10 a.m., and the first Spanish Grand Prix practice session kicking off at 12:30 p.m.
Later in the day, F2 qualifying takes place at 12:55 p.m., followed by the team bosses’ press conference at 2:40 p.m., the second practice session at 3:45 p.m., F3 qualifying at 5:20 p.m., and finally The F1 Show at 6:20 p.m. Saturday, September 12, sees the F3 sprint at 10 a.m., the third Spanish Grand Prix practice session at 11 a.m., the F2 sprint at 1:10 p.m., and the build‑up to qualifying at 2:15 p.m.
Qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix begins at 3 p.m., with the F3 Feature Race 1 scheduled for 4:55 p.m., followed by Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 6 p.m. Sunday’s agenda includes the F3 Feature Race 2 at 8:40 a.m., the F2 Feature Race at 10:20 a.m., a Grand Prix build‑up at 12:30 p.m., the main Spanish Grand Prix race at 2 p.m., and the post‑race reaction and Chequered Flag ceremony at 4 p.m.
Ted’s Notebook wraps up the day at 5 p.m. The qualifying session will also be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event. Formula 1 returns to Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix at the newly built Madring circuit, with every session streamed live on Sky Sports F1 starting this Friday. Fans can watch via the NOW streaming service, which offers a flexible, contract‑free subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
Overall, the weekend promises a blend of high‑speed competition, strategic driver changes, and the ongoing narrative of Hadjar’s recovery. While Red Bull hopes to see Hadjar back in the cockpit soon, Lawson’s continued presence offers the team a reliable backup as they chase further victories in Spain.