Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekanes explained that the squad will keep focusing on Isack Hadjar's rehabilitation rather than rushing him back onto the grid. The team has scheduled a series of assessments, including a simulator run, before deciding if the French driver will take part in the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hadjar has been sidelined for three consecutive events after hurting his wrist during a routine training session that took place just before the championship resumed following the summer hiatus.
In his absence, Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson has been called up to fill the seat. After the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, Mekanes commented that Hadjar's healing process is proceeding as expected. He added that a dedicated simulator session will help gauge the young driver’s readiness for a possible return in Baku.
"There is nothing wrong with Isack's recovery. I think we have learned that it's fundamentally a normal time for the sort of injuries he has," Mekanes said. "So, we will continue with the same approach and what we have. We will evaluate the situation in a week's time." He continued, "We have a full week, a bit more than a full week, to evaluate situations, to see how he feels and then to put him on the simulator, to expose him to real‑life constraints.
If he feels close to 100 per cent, we go for it. If he feels the recovery is not completed, we will stick to our approach to put his recovery first. What we don't want to do is, by having an early return, compromise his long‑term capacity to come back to 100 per cent." The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, staged on the street circuit of Baku, will start a day earlier than usual, with practice scheduled for Wednesday and the race on Saturday.
This event kicks off a three‑race swing that will see the championship move to Malaysia and Singapore over the following two weekends. Lawson, who stepped up from the sister team Racing Bulls, is making his second appearance for the senior Red Bull outfit after a brief, ill‑fated two‑race stint at the start of the previous season. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda continues to race for Racing Bulls. The New Zealander has already shown his worth, qualifying eighth on two occasions and scoring points at both Zandvoort and Madrid, where he finished sixth.
"I think he's done a very good job," Mekanes praised. "We all know how difficult it is to jump to a different team, to a different car, and I think he has done that to the best of what could have been our expectations. He has taken some very important points in Madrid with the P6.
He did the same in Zandvoort, and in Monza he would have done something similar without the contact with Nico Hulkenberg and the damage." Mekanes added that Lawson's performance this season has been a marked improvement compared with his early 2025 outings. "Again, very different pictures compared to the first races of 2025 when he was in the team, so we are thankful and happy with that," the team principal said.
Over the past year Lawson has rebuilt his confidence at Racing Bulls, enjoying a steady stream of points finishes before his unexpected promotion back to the senior Red Bull car. "I think he has continued to grow as a driver," Mekanes observed, noting that he has worked with Lawson across both Red Bull teams. "He's very calm in the car; he's very focused.
He's certainly making... I don't know if he makes an effort or not, but he's certainly managed to keep things simple in the way he tracks with the team and in the way he tackles his own performance and the car performance." "So, he's focused on the essentials; he tries to get the basics right, and it's working for him. Of course, with more time in the car, you can then get to another degree of finesse, maybe.
But I think that, of course, is very, very strong," Mekanes concluded. The race weekend 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 can look forward to a thrilling Saturday race in Baku, which will set the tone for the final triple‑header of the season, culminating in the Malaysian and Singapore Grands Prix later in September.