Isack Hadjar Hopes for Italian GP Return After Wrist Injury

Isack Hadjar is expressing optimism about his return for the upcoming Formula 1 race following a wrist injury that forced him to miss the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend. The injury occurred during a boxing training session earlier this month, during the summer break. Liam Lawson will take his place, marking his return to racing for Red Bull after a previous departure from the team.

Yuki Tsunoda will move to Lawson's seat at Racing Bulls, partnering with full-time driver Arvid Lindblad.

Sources indicate that Hadjar sustained a minor fracture in his wrist during a routine workout late last week. Following consultations with Red Bull's medical staff, the decision was made for him to skip the Sprint weekend at Zandvoort to allow for adequate recovery before the next event at Monza. Hadjar is present at Zandvoort this weekend to support Lawson and anticipates a return for the Italian Grand Prix, scheduled from September 4-6.

Lawson: I'm much more comfortable compared to 18 months ago

Liam Lawson, who was previously dropped by Red Bull after two challenging races last year, secured his seat for this season by performing well throughout the remainder of the 2025 season at Racing Bulls. The 24-year-old has been a standout performer in the midfield this season, achieving eight points finishes and currently sits ninth in the Drivers' Championship, trailing only drivers from top teams like Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull.

"I've had a lot more races since then [being dropped from Red Bull]. I feel much more comfortable racing in this sport, but it's going to be a very challenging weekend, for sure," Lawson stated. "It's a Sprint weekend, so it's going to be a quick learning process. But that's what we're focused on, that's what we tried to do in the simulator. If we can try and speed up that learning process as much as possible, then that would help our weekend."

Tsunoda, who has been observing from the sidelines this year, has an opportunity to impress and potentially secure a grid spot in 2027, although his options may be limited following recent contract extensions for Verstappen at Red Bull and for Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon at Williams. The Japanese driver mentioned he was on holiday in Greece when he received the call on Tuesday to prepare for driving for Racing Bulls.

"When I heard, I was like half excited, half still doubtful because anything can happen, but I was super excited too," he shared. "It was all confirmed that I'm racing this weekend. I'm super excited and physically I'm feeling ready. I've done a couple of TPCs [Testing of Previous Cars]. It will be my first time in this car but still, I'm very excited.

"As far as I understand, I will be in the seat for now - this weekend - and also it depends on Isack's recovery. I hope that recovery goes pretty fast. I'm not sure about the next Grand Prix but my objective is to have fun. I've been waiting for a long time. I was watching the screen for the last few months.

"Since the season started, I've been dying to be in the car and compete with the drivers. This moment I will just enjoy, and obviously give my 100 per cent performance. Hopefully that will bring some good results."