Already out at Zandvoort and Monza due to his wrist injury, Isack Hadjar is not yet guaranteed to be able to return next week and would miss a third consecutive race.
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Isack Hadjar’s recovery could ultimately last longer than expected. Injured in the wrist during the summer break, the Red Bull driver initially had to give up the Dutch Grand Prix before his absence for Monza was also confirmed.
Liam Lawson therefore continues to replace him this weekend in Italy, but Hadjar’s presence in Madrid is now also uncertain even if he can console himself by learning this morning that he had recovered his Monaco podium.
Red Bull refuses to take any risk
According to L’Équipe, the Frenchman went last week to Red Bull’s headquarters in Milton Keynes to do a session in the simulator. The goal was notably to determine if his wrist was sufficiently healed to withstand the stresses imposed by driving a Formula 1 car.
“The Frenchman also wanted to believe it,” reports the daily. And far from the stifling heat that had fallen on Lombardy, he braved the British drizzle to confirm — or not — his return to the cockpit. A day in the simulator in Milton Keynes, just to see if that damn wrist could hold up.”
For now, Red Bull has only officially announced Hadjar’s absence for the Italian Grand Prix. The team assures that their driver has made “encouraging progress” since his injury but does not want to set any definitive schedule for his return: “The team is closely monitoring his rehabilitation and will not take any unnecessary risks regarding his return to competition.”
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This caution is facilitated by the unusually deep pool of drivers currently available to Red Bull.
Lindblad disappointed? Tsolov also getting closer
Lawson had delivered a convincing performance during his replacement at Zandvoort, finishing seventh. His temporary stint at Red Bull had also allowed Yuki Tsunoda to return to Racing Bulls, where the Japanese driver had also shown good performance.
The same setup was kept for Monza. However, Arvid Lindblad did not hide some disappointment at not being chosen to replace Hadjar: “Like any driver in such a situation, I am a bit disappointed not to have had this opportunity. But as I said, I understand this choice.”
At the same time, another option is beginning to emerge within the Red Bull pipeline. Leader of the Formula 2 championship, Nikola Tsolov recently completed his first real Formula 1 test with Racing Bulls at Imola. The Bulgarian covered 690 kilometers, leaving a positive impression on Alan Permane: “He quickly adapted to the car and showed the calm expected from a driver taking the wheel of an F1 for the first time,” explained the Racing Bulls director.
In the short term, Lawson remains the preferred solution to replace Hadjar. The big question now concerns Madrid: Red Bull has not yet announced any absence beyond Monza, but the condition of the Frenchman’s wrist could force him to wait an additional week before returning to competition
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