Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has confirmed that Isack Hadjar's recovery from his wrist injury is tracking as expected, though the team will not force his return to racing until medical staff are satisfied he has fully healed.
Hadjar has been sidelined for three consecutive rounds following a wrist fracture sustained during training over the summer break. Red Bull has not yet confirmed whether he will race in Baku, with a final medical examination scheduled for the week before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Liam Lawson has filled the void at Red Bull, stepping up from sister team Racing Bulls to deputise for his injured team-mate. The New Zealander has impressed during his unexpected recall, qualifying eighth on two occasions and scoring points at both Zandvoort and Madrid, where he finished sixth.
Speaking after last Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix, Mekies outlined the cautious approach Red Bull is taking with Hadjar's rehabilitation.
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.
The team has structured a comprehensive evaluation process over the coming weeks.
We will evaluate the situation in a week's time. We have a full week, a bit more than a full week, to evaluate situations, to see how he feels and then to put him on the simulator, to expose him to real-life constraints.
Mekies emphasised that the team will use a simulator run before making the return decision, with Hadjar needing to demonstrate full fitness before racing again.
And if he feels close to 100 per cent, we go for it. If he feels the recovery is not completed, we will stick to our approach to put his recovery first.
The team's priority remains protecting Hadjar's long-term prospects rather than rushing him back into competition.
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.
According to RacingNews365, Baku is scheduled for September 24-26, giving Hadjar roughly two weeks to complete his recovery. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held on a street circuit and marks the opening race of a triple-header, with Malaysia and Singapore following on the subsequent two weekends.
Lawson earning praise for stand-in displays
Lawson's temporary elevation to Red Bull has been a bright spot during Hadjar's absence. The New Zealander is returning to a seat he briefly occupied in an ill-fated two-race stint at the start of last season, when he struggled to adapt to the team's machinery.
His recent performances have been markedly different. At Zandvoort, he qualified eighth and scored points, then repeated that feat in Madrid with a sixth-place finish. Even at Monza, he was on course for a similar result before contact with Nico Hulkenberg caused damage that compromised his race.
Mekies has been impressed by Lawson's composure and consistency since returning to the senior team.
I think he's done a very good job. I think 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 with the 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.
The contrast with Lawson's opening races of 2026 has been stark.
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 form and confidence at Racing Bulls over the past year and was already enjoying a consistent points-scoring season before his unexpected temporary senior Red Bull return. Yuki Tsunoda has been driving for Racing Bulls during Lawson's absence.
Mekies credited Lawson's development as a driver and his methodical approach to performance.
I think he has continued to grow as a driver. 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.
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.
What happens next
Red Bull is expected to complete the final fitness assessment in the week before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The decision on Hadjar's participation will hinge on whether he can demonstrate that his wrist has recovered sufficiently to withstand the physical demands of racing on Baku's demanding street circuit.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled for September 24-26, 2026, kicking off a gruelling triple-header that will test the physical and mental resilience of all drivers on the grid.
