Red Bull Confirms Hadjar's Absence from Spanish Grand Prix Due to Wrist Injury

Isack Hadjar will sit out the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid as he continues to recover from a fractured wrist sustained during a summer‑break training session. The young French driver suffered a hairline fracture in one of the bones of his wrist while engaging in a routine boxing workout, an injury that forced him to miss the Dutch, Italian and now Spanish rounds of the Formula 1 calendar.

In Hadjar's place, Liam Lawson will step into the Red Bull seat for a third consecutive weekend, partnering Max Verstappen once again. Lawson, who has been shuffling between the main team and its junior outfit, will take the wheel while Yuki Tsunoda remains with the Racing Bulls squad.

Red Bull released a statement confirming the driver change: "After racing for the team in Zandvoort and Monza, Liam will continue to drive alongside Max at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The decision has been taken as Isack's recovery continues to progress positively.

While he is not yet ready to return to the cockpit, he will be in Madrid supporting the team. Everyone at Red Bull Racing looks forward to welcoming Isack back behind the wheel very soon." Lawson's recent performances have shown promise. At Zandvoort he qualified just one‑tenth of a second slower than Verstappen and finished the Dutch Grand Prix in seventh place, a marked improvement over his two outings at the start of the 2025 season when he was subsequently dropped. In Italy, however, his weekend was less straightforward.

He was eliminated in Q2 at Monza, partly because Oscar Piastri impeded his best lap. Starting from the pit lane due to an engine penalty, Lawson was involved in a first‑lap incident with Audi's Nico Hulkenberg after a standing‑restart, which required an unscheduled front‑wing change.

He managed to claw his way back to 14th place, while Verstappen secured a podium finish. Yuki Tsunoda has also delivered solid results for the Racing Bulls.

He finished ahead of team‑mate Arvid Lindblad in the Dutch Grand Prix and earned a valuable point by finishing 10th at Monza. That Monza result, however, may be subject to an appeal from Audi, who argue that Tsunoda entered the wrong grid slot during a standing restart, prompting an extra formation lap. The 26‑year‑old, who was released from Red Bull's senior team last season, expressed optimism ahead of the Italian round, hoping to attract interest for a 2027 seat.

"I'm free! Would love to hear those calls, but not yet," he said.

"It's good that things are going positive, at least. Obviously, my primary target is to be in Formula 1.

Let's see. In this world anything can happen. At the same time, it's also knowing that it's not easy to have a seat." The Spanish Grand Prix weekend is packed with supporting series action. The schedule includes: Thursday, 10 September – 2 pm Drivers' Press Conference; 5 pm Paddock Uncut.

Friday, 11 September – 8:50 am F3 Practice; 10 am F2 Practice; 12 pm Spanish GP Practice One (starts 12:30 pm); 12:55 pm F2 Qualifying; 2:40 pm Team Bosses' Press Conference; 3:45 pm Spanish GP Practice Two (starts 4 pm); 5:20 pm F3 Qualifying; 6:20 pm The F1 Show. Saturday, 12 September – 10 am F3 Sprint; 11 am Spanish GP Practice Three (starts 11:30 am); 1:10 pm F2 Sprint; 2:15 pm Spanish GP Qualifying build‑up; 3 pm SPANISH GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING*; 4:55 pm F3 Feature Race 1; 6 pm Ted's Qualifying Notebook. Sunday, 13 September – 8:40 am F3 Feature Race 2; 10:20 am F2 Feature Race; 12:30 pm Grand Prix Sunday: Spanish GP build‑up; 2 pm THE SPANISH GRAND PRIX; 4 pm Chequered Flag: Spanish GP reaction; 5 pm Ted's Notebook. *Qualifying will also be shown on Sky Sports Main Event.

The event will be held at the newly constructed Madring circuit in Madrid, marking Formula 1's return to Spain after a brief hiatus. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW – a contract‑free service that can be cancelled at any time. Hadjar's absence is a setback for his development, but Red Bull remains confident in his long‑term prospects.

The team expects his wrist to heal fully in the coming weeks, after which he will rejoin the squad in a supportive role before returning to competition. In the meantime, Lawson will aim to make the most of his third straight opportunity in a Red Bull car, hoping to cement his reputation as a reliable backup driver and perhaps earn a permanent seat in the future. Meanwhile, Tsunoda will continue to fight for points with the Racing Bulls, hoping to keep his Formula 1 ambitions alive as the season progresses.