Isack Hadjar will be absent from the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid as he continues his rehabilitation from a fractured wrist. The young French driver sustained a hairline fracture in one of the bones of his wrist during a routine boxing workout over the summer break. The injury forced him to miss the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, and now the Spanish round. In Hadjar's place, Liam Lawson will step into the Red Bull Racing cockpit for a third consecutive event, partnering Max Verstappen once again.
Lawson, who has been shuffling between Red Bull and its sister team Racing Bulls, will take the wheel while Yuki Tsunoda remains with Racing Bulls for the weekend. Red Bull released an official statement confirming the driver change: "After competing for the team in Zandvoort and Monza, Liam will continue to race 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 been a mixed bag but show promise.
At Zandvoort he qualified only a tenth slower than Verstappen and finished the race in seventh place, a marked improvement over his two early‑season outings for Red Bull in 2025, after which he was briefly dropped. In Monza he was eliminated in Q2, partially due to being blocked by Oscar Piastri on his final flying lap. The race itself saw Lawson start from the pit lane after receiving an engine penalty. An early incident at the standing‑restart caused contact with Audi's Nico Hulkenberg, necessitating a front‑wing change.
Despite the setback, Lawson fought back to finish 14th, while Verstappen secured a podium finish. Yuki Tsunoda, now a regular at Racing Bulls, has delivered solid results over the past two weekends. He finished one position ahead of teammate Arvid Lindblad at the Dutch Grand Prix and earned a point by finishing 10th at Monza. The Monza result, however, is under scrutiny as Audi plans to appeal a controversial incident during the standing restart.
Tsunoda mistakenly entered the wrong grid slot, prompting an additional formation lap and raising questions about procedural compliance. The 26‑year‑old French driver, who was released from Red Bull's junior programme last season, expressed optimism about his future ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.
"I'm free! I'd 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 weekend schedule is packed with support series action and media events. On Thursday, September 10, the drivers' press conference will start at 2 pm, followed by the Paddock Uncut at 5 pm. Friday, September 11, features F3 practice at 8:50 am, F2 practice at 10 am, and the first Spanish Grand Prix practice session beginning at 12:30 pm. Later in the day, F2 qualifying takes place at 12:55 pm, the team bosses' press conference at 2:40 pm, and the second practice session at 3:45 pm (officially starting at 4 pm).
The day concludes with F3 qualifying at 5:20 pm, followed by the F1 Show at 6:20 pm. Saturday, September 12, kicks off with the F3 sprint at 10 am, then the third Spanish Grand Prix practice session at 11 am (session start at 11:30 am). The F2 sprint is scheduled for 1:10 pm, and the build‑up to qualifying begins at 2:15 pm.
The main qualifying session for the Spanish Grand Prix starts at 3 pm, with the F3 Feature Race 1 at 4:55 pm and Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 6 pm. Sunday, September 13, sees the F3 Feature Race 2 at 8:40 am, the F2 Feature Race at 10:20 am, and the Grand Prix build‑up at 12:30 pm. The Spanish Grand Prix itself begins at 2 pm, followed by the chequered flag ceremony at 4 pm and a post‑race reaction segment at 5 pm, again hosted by Ted's Notebook.
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 all sessions streamed live on Sky Sports F1 starting Friday. Viewers can watch via the NOW platform without a long‑term contract and cancel at any time. The event promises exciting on‑track action, strategic battles, and the chance for Hadjar to support his team from the pit lane while he continues his recovery, hoping to rejoin the Red Bull lineup as soon as his wrist is fully healed.