Isack Hadjar will be absent from the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid as he continues his rehabilitation from a fractured wrist. The French driver, who broke a small bone in his wrist during a routine boxing workout over the summer break, has already missed the Dutch, Italian and now Spanish rounds of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
In Hadjar's place, Liam Lawson will step into the Red Bull Racing cockpit for a third consecutive weekend, partnering Max Verstappen once again. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda will remain with the Racing Bulls squad, hoping to build on the modest points he has already collected. The injury occurred when Hadjar suffered a hair‑line fracture while sparring in a boxing session that was part of his off‑season conditioning programme.
The fracture, though not a major break, was enough to force the team to sit him out of the Zandvoort, Monza and now the Spanish events, as the medical staff prioritised a full and safe recovery. Red Bull issued a statement confirming the driver change: "After competing at 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 shown a marked improvement compared with his earlier outings for the team. At Zandvoort he qualified just one‑tenth of a second off Verstappen's pole time and finished the race in seventh place, a stark contrast to his two‑race stint at the start of the 2025 season when he was subsequently dropped. In Italy, Lawson was eliminated in Q2 after being impeded by Oscar Piastri on his fastest lap. He started the race from the pit lane due to an engine penalty, made contact with Audi's Nico Hülkenberg during the early standing‑restart, was forced to replace his front wing, and ultimately recovered to finish 14th while Verstappen secured a podium.
Yuki Tsunoda, who now races for the Racing Bulls, has delivered two solid weekends. He finished a position ahead of his teammate Arvid Lindblad at the Dutch Grand Prix and earned a valuable point by finishing tenth at Monza.
The 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 additional formation lap. The 26‑year‑old Tsunoda, who was released by Red Bull at the end of the previous season, expressed optimism about his future ahead of the Italian round, saying, "I'm free! Would love to hear those calls, but not yet.
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 a full schedule of support series and media events. On Thursday, September 10, the drivers' press conference will take place at 2 p.m., followed by the paddock uncut at 5 p.m.
Friday's programme includes F3 practice at 8:50 a.m., F2 practice at 10 a.m., the first Spanish Grand Prix practice session at 12:30 p.m., F2 qualifying at 12:55 p.m., a team‑bosses press conference at 2:40 p.m., the second practice session at 4 p.m., F3 qualifying at 5:20 p.m., and the F1 Show at 6:20 p.m. Saturday, September 12, will feature the F3 sprint at 10 a.m., the third Spanish Grand Prix practice at 11:30 a.m., the F2 sprint at 1:10 p.m., qualifying build‑up at 2:15 p.m., the official qualifying session at 3 p.m.
(also broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event), the F3 feature race 1 at 4:55 p.m., and Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 6 p.m. Sunday's schedule begins with 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 start at 2 p.m., the chequered flag ceremony and post‑race reaction at 4 p.m., and finally Ted's Notebook at 5 p.m. The event will be held at the brand‑new Madring circuit in Madrid, marking the first time the Spanish Grand Prix has taken place on this layout. All sessions will be streamed live on Sky Sports F1, with the option to watch via the NOW platform without a long‑term contract and with the ability to cancel at any time.
Fans are encouraged to use the Chrome browser for the best video player experience, as recommended by the broadcaster. The combination of a fresh circuit, a reshuffled Red Bull driver line‑up, and the ongoing storyline of Tsunoda's quest for a full‑time seat adds extra intrigue to what promises to be a compelling weekend of racing action.