Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekane explained that the organization will keep Isack Hadjar's rehabilitation as the top priority, refusing to rush his comeback after the recent wrist injury. The team plans to assess his condition thoroughly before deciding whether he will be fit to compete at the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hadjar has been absent from the grid for the past three events after injuring his wrist during a routine training session that took place just as the championship resumed from its summer hiatus. In his stead, Racing Bulls' driver Liam Lawson stepped into the seat.
Following the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, Mekane said that Hadjar's healing process is proceeding according to schedule. He added that a session in the team’s simulator has been arranged to gauge how ready the French driver might be for a potential 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," Mekane told reporters.
"So, we will continue with the same approach and what we have. We will evaluate the situation in a week's time." He emphasized that the team now has a little more than a week to monitor Hadjar's progress, observe how he feels, and then place him in the simulator to expose him to realistic constraints. "If he feels close to 100 per cent, we will 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," Mekane said.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, contested on Baku's demanding street circuit, will start a day earlier than usual this year, with practice scheduled for Wednesday and the race on Saturday. This event kicks off a three‑race swing that will continue with Malaysia and Singapore over the next two weekends. Lawson, who moved up from sister team Racing Bulls to fill Hadjar's vacancy, is returning to a seat he briefly occupied during a short‑lived two‑race spell at the start of the previous season. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda has been piloting the Racing Bulls car.
The New Zealander has already shown his worth, qualifying eighth on two occasions and scoring points at both Zandvoort and the Spanish round in Madrid, where he finished sixth. "I think he's done a very good job," Mekane 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 a 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." Mekane continued, "So, I think he did a very good job. 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." Lawson's confidence and form have steadily improved at Racing Bulls over the past year, and he was already enjoying a consistent points‑scoring run before being called up for a temporary senior Red Bull assignment.
"I think he has continued to grow as a driver," Mekane added, noting that he has worked with Lawson across both Red Bull outfits. "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." The team principal highlighted Lawson's methodical approach: "He focuses 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." As the F1 calendar moves forward, fans can watch the Azerbaijan Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1, which will broadcast the race on a Saturday as part of the triple‑header spanning September 24‑26. Those with a NOW subscription can stream the coverage without a long‑term contract and cancel at any time.
In summary, Red Bull remains confident that Hadjar's rehabilitation is on track and will not compromise his long‑term performance by rushing him back. The team will use the coming week to evaluate his physical state, mental readiness, and simulator data before making a final decision on his participation in Baku. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson has earned praise for stepping up seamlessly, delivering solid points finishes, and demonstrating the adaptability required when moving between teams and cars in the high‑pressure environment of Formula One.