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 sustained a hairline fracture in one of the bones of his wrist during a routine boxing session over the summer break, an injury that has already forced him to miss the Dutch, Italian and now Spanish rounds of the championship. In Hadjar's place, Liam Lawson will step back into the Red Bull RB team for a third consecutive event, partnering Max Verstappen once again.
Lawson, who has been gaining valuable seat time with the squad, will take to the grid while Yuki Tsunoda remains with the Racing Bulls outfit for the weekend. Red Bull issued a statement confirming the lineup 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 made 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 solid.
At Zandvoort he qualified only a tenth slower than Verstappen and finished the Dutch Grand Prix in seventh place, a marked improvement compared with his two early‑season outings for Red Bull in 2025, after which he was replaced. In Monza, Lawson's qualifying run was cut short in Q2 after he was hindered by Oscar Piastri on his best lap. The race itself began from the pit lane due to an engine‑related penalty, and an early contact with Audi's Nico Hulkenberg during a standing‑start restart forced Lawson to replace his front wing.
Despite these setbacks, he fought back to finish 14th, while Verstappen secured a podium finish. Yuki Tsunoda has also delivered respectable results for the Racing Bulls this weekend. He finished ahead of his teammate Arvid Lindblad in the Dutch Grand Prix and earned a valuable point by finishing tenth at Monza. However, the Monza result is under scrutiny, as Audi has indicated they may appeal the incident that occurred during the standing‑restart when Tsunoda mistakenly pulled into the wrong grid slot, prompting an additional formation lap.
The 26‑year‑old Tsunoda, who was released from Red Bull's junior programme last season, expressed optimism about his future prospects ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. "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 a full schedule of support series and media events.
On Thursday, September 10, the drivers' press conference will take place at 2 pm, followed by the Paddock Uncut at 5 pm. Friday, September 11, will see a busy day of practice sessions: F3 practice at 8:50 am, F2 practice at 10 am, the first Spanish Grand Prix practice session at 12 pm (officially starting at 12:30 pm), followed by F2 qualifying at 12:55 pm, the team bosses' press conference at 2:40 pm, the second practice session at 3:45 pm (starting at 4 pm), F3 qualifying at 5:20 pm, and finally The F1 Show at 6:20 pm. Saturday, September 12, continues with the F3 sprint at 10 am, the third Spanish Grand Prix practice session at 11 am (starting at 11:30 am), the F2 sprint at 1:10 pm, the build‑up to qualifying at 2:15 pm, the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying itself at 3 pm (also broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event), followed by the F3 Feature Race 1 at 4:55 pm and Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 6 pm. Sunday, September 13, will feature the F3 Feature Race 2 at 8:40 am, the F2 Feature Race at 10:20 am, a pre‑race build‑up at 12:30 pm, the main Spanish Grand Prix start at 2 pm, the chequered flag ceremony and post‑race reaction at 4 pm, and finally Ted's Notebook at 5 pm.
The Spanish Grand Prix will be held at the brand‑new Madring circuit in Madrid, marking the first time the championship has visited this venue. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW, offering a contract‑free option that can be cancelled at any time. Fans are encouraged to use the Chrome browser for the best video player experience.
In summary, while Isack Hadjar's wrist injury keeps him sidelined for the Spanish round, Red Bull has turned to Liam Lawson to fill the vacancy, and Yuki Tsunoda continues to fight for points with the Racing Bulls. The weekend promises a dense programme of on‑track action and media coverage, culminating in a high‑stakes race at the state‑of‑the‑art Madring facility.