Red Bull confirmed on Monday that the Frenchman is not yet ready for the physical demands of a Formula 1 cockpit. His recovery is continuing to progress well, but the weekend of September 11 to 13 will come too soon for a return at the new Madring circuit. Hadjar will nevertheless travel to Madrid to support the team on site.
Injury suffered during the summer break
Hadjar injured his wrist during a training session over the summer break. According to Sky Sports, the 21-year-old suffered a hairline fracture or break in one of the bones in his wrist. The injury is understood to have occurred during a regular workout that also included boxing training. As a result, Hadjar first missed the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort before also sitting out the race in Monza.
Red Bull are determined not to take any risks with his comeback. Team principal Laurent Mekies recently stressed that Hadjar will only return to the car once he has fully recovered. Even before the Monza weekend, Mekies had already cast doubt on whether Madrid would come early enough for the Frenchman.
MotoGP star Marc Márquez also played a part in Hadjar’s decision to take a cautious approach to his rehabilitation. After sustaining the injury, Hadjar sought advice from the multiple world champion, who has first-hand experience of lengthy injury layoffs and premature returns. Márquez specifically advised him not to force a comeback at Zandvoort.
It remains unclear when Hadjar will be able to race again. His next opportunity would be the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku from September 24 to 26. Red Bull have yet to set a firm date for his return.
Lawson stays alongside Verstappen
Liam Lawson will once again race for Red Bull in Madrid and take the second seat alongside Max Verstappen. The New Zealander made the most of his first appearance by finishing seventh in the Netherlands and scoring six World Championship points. Monza proved more difficult, with Lawson recovering to 14th after starting from the pit lane and being involved in an early collision.
Lawson’s move to Red Bull also leaves a seat open again at sister team Racing Bulls. Yuki Tsunoda will step in there, just as he did at Zandvoort and Monza, and will line up alongside rookie Arvid Lindblad. The Japanese driver finished 11th and 10th in his two appearances since the summer break.
Injury halts Hadjar’s strong run
The timing of the injury is particularly unfortunate for Hadjar. With 71 points, he remains eighth in the Drivers’ Championship. He has finished in the top ten in eight of his 11 Grand Prix starts in 2026 and scored points in seven consecutive races from Canada through to the final event before the summer break in Hungary.
His best result of the season came in Monaco, where he was classified third. That result was only officially confirmed last Friday, however, after the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated two time penalties for Pierre Gasly following a months-long process, promoting Hadjar to third place.
Hadjar will now miss the Formula 1 debut of the new Madring circuit. The 5.4-kilometre track around the IFEMA exhibition centre combines public roads with purpose-built sections and will host its first Grand Prix this weekend.
