Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has reiterated that the French driver Isack Hadjar’s rehabilitation is proceeding as expected, and the squad will not rush his return to the cockpit. The team plans to assess his condition in the coming days before deciding whether he will be fit to compete at next weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hadjar has been absent from the grid for three consecutive rounds after injuring his wrist during a routine training session that took place just before the sport resumed following its summer hiatus. In his place, Racing Bulls’ driver Liam Lawson has taken over the seat, offering the team a capable stand‑in while Hadjar continues his recovery.
Speaking after the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, Mekies explained that the team’s medical and performance staff are monitoring the Frenchman’s progress closely. A simulator run is scheduled for the near future, which will give engineers a clear picture of how the injury might affect his performance under realistic race‑like conditions. "There is nothing wrong with Isack’s recovery," Mekes said.
"We have learned that the timeline we are seeing is typical for the type of wrist injury he has suffered. Therefore, we will maintain our current approach and continue to evaluate his status over the next week." He added that the team has roughly a week—slightly more than a full seven days—to gauge how Hadjar feels, run him through the simulator, and see how his wrist copes with the physical demands of a Formula 1 car. "If he feels close to 100 percent, we will give him the green light.
If he feels his recovery is still incomplete, we will stick to our principle of putting his health first. We do not want an early return to jeopardise his long‑term ability to perform at the highest level." The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, set on the street circuit of Baku, will be run on a Saturday this year, with practice scheduled for the upcoming Wednesday. It marks the opening race of a three‑weekend sprint that will see the championship move on to Malaysia and Singapore the following two weekends. Lawson, who stepped up from the sister team Racing Bulls, is no stranger to the Red Bull environment.
He briefly filled a seat at the senior team at the start of the previous season, and his recent performances have helped to keep the team competitive. In the meantime, Yuki Tsunoda has been handling the Racing Bulls car. The New Zealander has already qualified eighth on two occasions and has scored points at both Zandvoort and the Madrid circuit, where he finished sixth. Mekies praised his work, noting the difficulty of adapting to a new car and a different team mid‑season.
"He has done a very good job," Mekies said. "Switching to a different team and a different chassis is never easy, but he has met, and in some cases exceeded, our expectations.
He secured valuable points in Madrid with a P6 finish and replicated that performance in Zandvoort. In Monza, he would likely have achieved a similar result if not for the contact with Nico Hulkenberg that caused damage to the car." Mekies continued, "The pictures we have now are very different from the early races of 2025 when he first joined the team. We are grateful for his contributions and pleased with his progress." Lawson’s confidence has grown steadily during his time with Racing Bulls over the past year, and he entered the season with a consistent points‑scoring record before being called up to the senior Red Bull squad on short notice. Mekies highlighted the driver’s calm demeanor and focus behind the wheel.
"He continues to develop as a driver," Mekies remarked. "He remains composed in the car and maintains a clear focus on the fundamentals.
Whether that is a conscious effort or simply his natural approach, he has managed to keep things straightforward in his communication with the team and in how he extracts performance from the car." "He concentrates on the basics, gets the essentials right, and that strategy is clearly paying off. With more time in the car, he can add another layer of finesse, but his current foundation is already very strong," Mekies added.
The upcoming race weekend in Baku will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicking off a triple‑header of events from 24 to 26 September. Viewers can stream the coverage via NOW, with no long‑term contract required and the option to cancel at any time. The race will be the first of three consecutive Grand Prix events, setting the tone for the final stretch of the season as teams vie for crucial championship points.
In summary, Red Bull remains confident that Hadjar’s rehabilitation is on track and will make a measured decision based on his health and simulator data. Meanwhile, Lawson’s solid performances have helped the team stay competitive, and the focus now shifts to the high‑speed streets of Baku, where drivers will once again test the limits of skill, machinery, and strategy.