Hadjar sidelined for Red Bull’s return from the summer break

Isack Hadjar will miss this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix after suffering a wrist injury during Formula 1’s summer shutdown, Red Bull has confirmed.

The 21-year-old was initially expected to race at Zandvoort, but his absence was announced on Wednesday ahead of the first event following the mid-season break. Red Bull said the injury would prevent Hadjar from competing in the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix.

“Isack Hadjar has sustained a wrist injury during summer shutdown that will prevent him from racing at the 2026 Dutch GP,” Red Bull said. “We will be welcoming back Liam Lawson who will replace him in RB22 this weekend. The team wishes Isack a speedy recovery and thanks Liam for stepping in on short notice.”

Lawson steps up, Tsunoda returns

Liam Lawson will move up from sister team Racing Bulls to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull for the Zandvoort Sprint weekend. The switch gives the New Zealander another opportunity to compete in a more competitive car after scoring points in eight of the first 11 races of the season for Racing Bulls, including sixth-place finishes in Canada and Great Britain.

Yuki Tsunoda, the reserve driver for both Red Bull teams, will replace Lawson at Racing Bulls. He will line up alongside British rookie Arvid Lindblad, returning to a race seat after losing his Red Bull position to Hadjar at the end of last season.

Racing Bulls confirmed the reshuffle in a statement, saying: “We thank both Liam and Yuki for their adaptability as the teams prepare for the weekend and we wish Isack a speedy recovery.”

A fresh chance for Lawson

Lawson’s promotion is a notable second chance at Red Bull. The team dropped him after only two races at the start of the 2025 season, when he had replaced Sergio Perez, and swapped him with Tsunoda.

Since then, Lawson has rebuilt his form at Racing Bulls and made a strong start to the 2026 campaign. His return alongside Verstappen offers him the chance to demonstrate how much he has developed since his difficult earlier spell with the senior team.

Hadjar, meanwhile, has delivered a solid first season at Red Bull after earning promotion following an impressive rookie campaign with Racing Bulls. He scored the only podium of his Formula 1 career so far at Zandvoort last year and is expected to remain Verstappen’s teammate next season.

Hadjar will have two further weeks to recover before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, scheduled for September 4-6.