Red Bull’s young French driver Isack Hadjar is poised to make his return to the Formula 1 grid at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a three‑race absence caused by a wrist injury sustained during off‑season fitness work. The 21‑year‑old, who has been paired with five‑time world champion Max Verstappen since the start of his debut season, missed the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds after hurting his wrist in August, when the sport was on its summer break. Hadjar’s comeback will be marked by participation in the two practice sessions scheduled for Thursday at the Baku City Circuit. The race weekend has been shifted forward by a day to avoid overlapping with Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day, meaning the usual Friday activities now take place on Thursday.
In a statement released on Tuesday morning, Oracle Red Bull Racing expressed enthusiasm about the Frenchman’s return: "Oracle Red Bull Racing is delighted to welcome Isack back this weekend. Having made a successful recovery from his wrist injury, Isack will return to action at the Baku City Circuit on Thursday." During Hadjar’s hiatus, Liam Lawson was elevated from the junior team, Racing Bulls, to fill the vacant Red Bull seat, while reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda stepped into the Racing Bulls car. Red Bull publicly thanked Lawson for his professionalism and dedication over the three races, noting that he performed admirably under challenging circumstances and contributed valuable points.
The team also praised Tsunoda for his willingness to step in, acknowledging his effort and the points he helped secure for the junior squad. Hadjar’s first season with Red Bull has been solid overall. He secured a podium finish at Monaco, demonstrating his speed and racecraft, and he has consistently been a points‑scoring driver.
Prior to his injury, he sat eighth in the Drivers' Championship, trailing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 23 points. The gap has widened to 49 points during his time away. Before the summer break, Hadjar was 38 points behind Verstappen after the Hungarian Grand Prix; that deficit has now grown to 74 points, underscoring the impact of his missed races.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the opening event of a three‑race swing that will continue with races in Malaysia and Singapore over the next two weekends, making the Baku weekend particularly important for teams and drivers looking to gain early momentum in the second half of the 2026 season. The schedule for the weekend is packed: - Wednesday, 23 September: Drivers' press conference at 11:00, followed by the Paddock Uncut at 14:00. - Thursday, 24 September: F2 practice at 06:55, Azerbaijan GP Practice One at 09:00 (session begins at 09:30), F2 qualifying at 10:55, Team Bosses' press conference at 12:00, Practice Two at 12:30 (session begins at 13:00), and The F1 Show at 14:15.
- Friday, 25 September: F2 sprint at 05:10, Practice Three at 09:15 (session begins at 09:30), F2 Feature Race 1 at 11:10, Qualifying build‑up at 12:30, Azerbaijan GP Qualifying at 13:00, and Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 15:00. - Saturday, 26 September: F2 Feature Race 2 at 07:55, Grand Prix start at 10:30, followed by post‑race analysis. - Sunday, 27 September: The main race begins at 12:00, with the chequered flag ceremony and reaction coverage at 14:00, and further commentary at 15:00.
All sessions are also broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, and the race can be streamed via NOW with a flexible, no‑contract subscription. Hadjar’s return is not only a personal milestone but also a strategic boost for Red Bull. The team has been working on a series of upgrades for the RB‑26, and having both drivers back in the cockpit will allow the engineers to gather more data and refine the car’s performance ahead of the tightly packed Asian swing. McLaren, meanwhile, has announced additional upgrades to the MCL‑40 and predicts a four‑way battle for victory in Baku, indicating that the competition will be fierce.
In summary, Isack Hadjar’s comeback at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix marks the end of a brief but challenging recovery period. With his wrist fully healed, he will rejoin Verstappen on the grid, aiming to close the points gap and continue the momentum he built earlier in the season.
The weekend promises high‑octane action, a packed schedule, and the start of a crucial triple‑header that could shape the championship narrative for the remainder of the 2026 Formula 1 campaign.