Summary
- Hadjar injured his wrist during a boxing session in the summer break.
- The fracture healed without surgery, but he missed three races while Liam Lawson replaced him at Red Bull.
- Hadjar finished third on his return at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and acknowledged that he needs to be more careful when boxing.
Isack Hadjar’s three-race absence from Formula 1 began with an injury sustained during boxing training in the summer break. The Red Bull driver fractured his left wrist and had to wait for it to heal before returning to the cockpit at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The injury kept him out of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. Liam Lawson took his place alongside Max Verstappen for all three events, while reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda filled Lawson’s seat at Racing Bulls.
Hadjar acknowledged the cause of the injury after finishing third in Baku. Reflecting on the training accident, he said he hoped to exercise better judgement when he next returned to boxing.
“I just hope I use my head a bit more next time I go boxing,” Hadjar said, in comments published by Automoto.it.
The podium completed a successful comeback after several weeks away from racing. Hadjar had last driven the Red Bull at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the summer break and returned to a car he felt had improved during his absence.
Why did Hadjar miss three races?
The recovery required time rather than an operation. Speaking before the Azerbaijan weekend, Hadjar explained that the fracture was on the outside of his wrist and that he had allowed it to heal naturally.
“I had a small fracture on the outside of the wrist. It’s just quite a long process. I didn’t need any surgery,” Hadjar explained.
Red Bull initially hoped he would be ready to return at Monza, but the recovery extended through the following round in Madrid. Team principal Laurent Mekies subsequently said the process was progressing as expected and that there had been no additional setback.
Hadjar’s rehabilitation also restricted his usual training. He described doing very little with his left arm while the wrist recovered, leaving him unable to maintain his normal routine. Before receiving clearance to race again, he completed a simulator test to assess whether the wrist could withstand the demands of driving.
The simulator session went well, although Hadjar warned before the weekend that some pain would remain. His assessment was that the wrist had recovered enough strength to cope with the forces involved in driving the car.
Which races did Hadjar miss?
| Grand Prix | Circuit | Red Bull replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch GP | Zandvoort | Liam Lawson |
| Italian GP | Monza | Liam Lawson |
| Spanish GP | Madring, Madrid | Liam Lawson |
The temporary reshuffle affected both Red Bull teams. Lawson moved up from Racing Bulls, while Tsunoda returned to a race seat after beginning the season as a reserve. Hadjar’s return in Azerbaijan restored the regular pairings.
His comeback also coincided with confirmation that he would remain alongside Verstappen in 2027. The Red Bull renewal formed part of the updated 2027 driver line-up, giving Hadjar certainty about his future before he resumed racing.
Hadjar returned with a podium in Baku
Hadjar finished third behind George Russell and Verstappen at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, 26 September. The result gave Red Bull a double podium and marked an immediate return to the front of the field for its recovering driver.
Beyond the result, Hadjar highlighted the improvement in the RB22 compared with the car he had driven in Hungary. He felt more comfortable with its balance and braking behaviour from the opening practice session, helping him rebuild confidence on a demanding street circuit.
The comeback followed three missed weekends and a restricted training programme. Hadjar’s next scheduled race is the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with the field returning to Sepang from 2–4 October.
F1 today: FAQ
Is there Formula 1 on today, 29 September?
No. There are no F1 track sessions on Tuesday. The next race weekend begins on Friday, 2 October, at Sepang in Malaysia.
When is the next F1 race?
The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia takes place on Sunday, 4 October. It starts at 08:00 in the UK, 12:30 in India, 03:00 on the US East Coast and 18:00 in Sydney.
Are Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll staying at Aston Martin for 2027?
Yes. Aston Martin confirmed on Tuesday that both drivers have extended their contracts and will remain its race pairing beyond the 2026 season.
How did Isack Hadjar injure his wrist?
Hadjar fractured his left wrist during boxing training in the 2026 summer break. He later acknowledged the accident when discussing his return in Baku.
