News summary

Liam Lawson has been handed another opportunity to prove himself at Red Bull. With Isack Hadjar still recovering from a wrist injury, the New Zealander will remain alongside Max Verstappen for the Italian GP at Monza, repeating the lineup used at Zandvoort. Red Bull confirmed on Wednesday (2) that Hadjar will miss the Italian GP, keeping Lawson alongside Verstappen.

The decision means Lawson’s return to the senior team is no longer just a one-off substitute appearance. He will have a second consecutive weekend in the RB22 to demonstrate what he can do, after previously being called up when Hadjar was ruled out of the Dutch GP with a wrist injury.

That continuity could prove particularly valuable. Lawson was called up shortly before the Dutch GP after Hadjar’s injury and had limited preparation time before jumping into the Red Bull. The opportunity itself was something the New Zealander celebrated, although he admitted that returning to Red Bull represented a “different” challenge compared with driving for Racing Bulls.

Even so, Lawson delivered a strong weekend at Zandvoort. He qualified eighth and then finished seventh in the Dutch GP, scoring points for Red Bull. The performance came after a difficult start to his previous spell with the team in 2025, when he was dropped after only two races.

The result also earned praise from Red Bull management. After the race, the team backed Lawson’s seventh-place drive at Zandvoort after Verstappen retired on the opening lap, leaving the New Zealander to carry the team’s hopes for the remainder of the race.

Lawson subsequently explained why his second experience with Red Bull has been so different. The 2026 car, according to the New Zealander, is easier to drive and less extreme at the limit than the RB21 he raced in 2025. In a comparison between his two Red Bull spells, Lawson recalled how difficult it was to extract performance from last year’s car.

Now Lawson believes he can make even more progress at Monza because he knows the car better.

“It’s good to know that Isack is recovering well and will be back in the car soon, but it’s great to have another weekend with the team. Zandvoort gave me a very useful first reference with the car, and having gone through a Sprint weekend means I arrive at Monza with a much greater understanding of the car,” Lawson said.

That extra knowledge could be crucial. Unlike Zandvoort, Monza is a high-speed circuit characterized by long straights, heavy braking zones and a much lower-downforce setup. Lawson therefore faces a different technical challenge, but he will at least have a baseline from his first weekend back with Red Bull.

The second opportunity also comes after Red Bull had initially expected Hadjar to return at Monza. The team had been monitoring the Frenchman’s recovery and even prepared a contingency plan in which Lawson would step back into the RB22 if Hadjar failed to receive medical clearance.

For Lawson, the situation has now become more significant. He has another full weekend to demonstrate that his Zandvoort performance was not simply the result of circumstances, while also giving Red Bull a larger sample with which to evaluate him.

The New Zealander’s first stint at Red Bull in 2025 ended quickly, but his performances with Racing Bulls in 2026 helped rebuild his reputation. Before being recalled to the senior team, Lawson had scored strong results throughout the season and accumulated 49 points, enough to place him ninth in the Drivers’ Championship.

His promotion also triggered a reshuffle elsewhere in the Red Bull family. When Lawson moved to the senior team at Zandvoort, Yuki Tsunoda returned to Racing Bulls alongside rookie Arvid Lindblad. Tsunoda’s return came after Lawson was called up to Red Bull, and the same arrangement will remain in place at Monza.

There is also an interesting benchmark waiting on the other side of Lawson’s garage. At Zandvoort, the New Zealander qualified only one position behind Verstappen and finished just over a tenth behind the Dutchman in Q3. Red Bull acknowledged the narrow qualifying gap while assessing its prospects at the Dutch GP.

For Lawson, therefore, Monza represents much more than another substitute appearance. It is an opportunity to show that he can consistently operate at the level expected of a Red Bull driver and to strengthen his case for a more permanent role at the front of the Formula 1 grid.

The situation is particularly interesting for fans in New Zealand, where Lawson has become one of the country’s leading representatives in Formula 1. Another strong performance at Monza could further raise his profile at home while increasing pressure on Red Bull to consider his long-term future within the organization.

Formula 1 returns to Monza from September 4 to 6 for the Italian GP. GRANDE PRÊMIO’s F1 coverage will follow all the action, while fans can check the Italian GP 2026 schedule and full Monza session times ahead of the weekend.

FAQ

1. Why is Liam Lawson driving for Red Bull at Monza?

Lawson will remain at Red Bull because Isack Hadjar has not yet recovered sufficiently from his wrist injury. The team decided not to rush Hadjar’s return and will keep Lawson alongside Verstappen for a second consecutive race.

2. How did Liam Lawson perform at the Dutch GP?

Lawson finished seventh at Zandvoort, scoring points in his first race back with Red Bull. He also qualified eighth and was only just over a tenth behind Verstappen in Q3.

3. What is different for Lawson at Red Bull in 2026?

Lawson says the 2026 Red Bull is easier to drive and less extreme at the limit than the RB21 he raced in 2025. He also arrives at Monza with significantly more knowledge of the current car after completing a full weekend at Zandvoort.