Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has reiterated that the team will keep Isack Hadjar's rehabilitation as the top priority, refusing to accelerate his comeback before he is fully ready. The French driver has been sidelined for the past three rounds after hurting his wrist during a routine training session that took place just before the championship resumed from its summer hiatus. In his absence, Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson has been called up to fill the vacant seat.
Mekies addressed the media after the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, confirming that Hadjar's healing process is proceeding according to the schedule they had set. He added that a simulator run is slated for the coming week, a step that will help the team gauge whether the youngster could be fit enough to contest the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix 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," Mekies explained. "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 full week to monitor Hadjar's condition, to see how he feels, and then to put him through a simulator session that mimics the real‑world constraints of a street circuit. "If he feels close to 100 percent, we will go for it. If he feels the recovery is not completed, we will stick to our approach and put his recovery first," Mekies said. "What we don't want to do is, by having an early return, compromise his long‑term capacity to come back to 100 percent." The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which takes place on Baku's demanding street layout, 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. In the meantime, Lawson has stepped up from the sister team Racing Bulls to cover for Hadjar. The New Zealander previously tasted a brief, ill‑fated two‑race stint with the senior Red Bull outfit at the start of the previous season.
Yuki Tsunoda continues to race for Racing Bulls. Lawson's performance has been commendable.
He has qualified eighth on two occasions and secured points finishes at both Zandvoort and the Madrid street circuit, where he finished sixth. "I think he's done a very good job," Mekies 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." Mekies 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 has rebuilt his confidence and form at Racing Bulls over the past year, enjoying a steady stream of points before being called up unexpectedly to the senior Red Bull seat.
"I think he has continued to grow as a driver," Mekies added, noting his calm demeanor and focus in the cockpit. "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." According to Mekies, Lawson's approach is to concentrate on the fundamentals: getting the basics right, staying composed, and delivering consistent lap times.
"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." The decision on whether Hadjar will race in Baku will be taken after the upcoming simulator assessment and a thorough medical review. The team stresses that a premature return could jeopardise the driver's long‑term health and performance, a risk they are unwilling to take.
This cautious stance reflects Red Bull's broader philosophy of protecting its talent pool and ensuring that drivers are at their physical peak before re‑entering the highly competitive environment of Formula One. Fans can follow the live action on Sky Sports F1, where the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be broadcast as part of a triple‑header weekend from September 24‑26. The race will be streamed via NOW, offering a contract‑free option that can be cancelled at any time.