Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekhié reiterated that the French driver Isack Hadjar’s rehabilitation will remain the top priority, and the squad will not hurry his comeback. The decision on whether Hadjar will race at the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be taken after a series of assessments in the coming week.
Hadjar has been absent from the grid for the past three rounds after injuring his wrist during a routine training session that took place before the sport resumed following the summer hiatus. In his stead, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson has filled the seat, gaining valuable experience on the Red Bull‑powered machine. Speaking after the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, Mekhié explained that the recovery plan is proceeding as expected.
He added that a simulator run has been scheduled to gauge Hadjar’s readiness for a potential return in Baku. "There is nothing wrong with Isack’s recovery. We have learned that his injury is fairly typical for the type of trauma he sustained," Mekhié said. "Consequently, we will maintain the same measured approach we have been using.
"We will reassess the situation in a week’s time." He continued, "We have just over a week to monitor how he feels, then we will put him in the simulator to expose him to realistic constraints. If he feels close to 100 percent, we will let him race. If he indicates that his healing is not yet complete, we will stick to our principle of putting his recovery first. What we do not want is an early return that jeopardises his long‑term ability to perform at full capacity." The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, staged on Baku’s street circuit, will start a day earlier than usual, with practice slated for Wednesday and the race on Saturday.
It kicks off a three‑week sprint of back‑to‑back events that will continue in Malaysia and Singapore. Lawson, who stepped up from the sister team Racing Bulls, is back in a seat he briefly occupied during a short‑lived two‑race stint at the start of the previous season. Yuki Tsunoda remains with Racing Bulls for the weekend.
Since taking over, Lawson has twice qualified eighth and has scored points at both Zandvoort and the Madrid street circuit, where he finished sixth. "He has done a very good job," Mekhié praised. "We all know how challenging it is to jump into a different team and a different car, and he has met, if not exceeded, our expectations.
He secured valuable points in Madrid with a P6 and delivered a similar performance in Zandvoort. In Monza he would likely have achieved comparable results if not for the contact with Nico Hulkenberg and the resulting damage." Mekhié added, "The picture is very different from the early races of 2025 when he first joined the team, and we are grateful and pleased with his progress." Lawson’s confidence has grown steadily at Racing Bulls over the past year, and he was already enjoying a consistent points‑scoring run before his unexpected temporary promotion to the senior Red Bull outfit.
"He continues to develop as a driver," Mekhié noted, having worked with Lawson across both Red Bull entities. "He is calm in the car and highly focused. He keeps things simple, both in his communication with the team and in how he approaches his own performance and the car’s behaviour. He concentrates on the fundamentals, gets the basics right, and that approach is clearly paying off.
With more time behind the wheel, he will naturally add a finer degree of finesse, but his foundation is already very strong." The Azerbaijan race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, marking the start of a three‑race weekend that runs from September 24‑26, with the Baku event taking place on a Saturday. Viewers can stream the coverage via NOW, with no long‑term contract required and the option to cancel at any time.