Absent for three Grands Prix due to a wrist injury, Isack Hadjar hopes to return in Baku. However, Red Bull refuses to take any risks.
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Isack Hadjar will have to wait a little longer to know if he can get back behind the wheel of his Red Bull at the next Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Removed from the last three races due to a wrist injury sustained during the summer break, the Frenchman is continuing his recovery and could take advantage of the race-free weekend to complete the final steps before his return.
Laurent Mekies is reassuring about his condition. The Red Bull director states that the convalescence is following a perfectly normal timeline for this type of injury, but the Austrian team has set a very clear condition: Hadjar will not return to competition until they are convinced he can drive without risking worsening his problem.
Red Bull reassures on Hadjar’s recovery
The Frenchman’s prolonged absence could have caused some concern, but Mekies assures that no particular delay has been observed. Red Bull simply prefers to take a cautious approach rather than rush their driver’s return.
“There is nothing abnormal in Isack’s recovery. I think we have understood that it is fundamentally a normal delay for the type of injury he is suffering from.”
Hadjar has already missed the Dutch, Italian, and Spanish Grands Prix. During his absence, Liam Lawson was called to take his place alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, while Yuki Tsunoda replaced the New Zealander at Racing Bulls.
The coming week will now be decisive. The absence of a Grand Prix this weekend offers a few extra days for the Frenchman before a new evaluation of his wrist.
“So we will continue with the same approach. We will assess the situation in a week. We have a little over a full week to see how he feels.”
The simulator will serve as a real test
A simple medical examination will not be enough to convince Red Bull. Before allowing Hadjar to resume competition, the team wants to place him in their simulator to reproduce as faithfully as possible the physical constraints his wrist will be subjected to in a Formula 1 car.
This step should help determine if the Frenchman is truly capable of withstanding the necessary efforts throughout an entire Grand Prix weekend. The simulator session will therefore likely be the final test before a definitive decision for Baku.
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“We then plan to put him in the simulator to expose him to constraints close to those encountered in real conditions.”
The verdict will depend primarily on the driver’s feelings. Red Bull does not necessarily require him to be completely free of any discomfort, but the team wants to ensure that his recovery is advanced enough to present no risk.
“If he feels close to 100%, we will attempt the return. If he feels his recovery is not complete, we will maintain our approach and prioritize his healing.”
No rushed return for Baku
Hadjar must surely be eager to regain his place after an encouraging start to the season with Red Bull. Before his injury, the Frenchman had regularly placed himself among the top six and had gradually found his footing within the team.
But even if the Azerbaijan Grand Prix now represents a possibility, Mekies refuses to make it a mandatory deadline. If the simulator tests reveal that his wrist is not sufficiently healed, Red Bull will agree to extend his absence.
The main goal is to avoid a return a few days too early turning a temporary injury into a much more lasting problem.
“What we especially do not want to do is compromise his ability to return at 100% in the long term by organizing a return too early.”
The decision regarding Baku should therefore come in the next few days. Hadjar has a little over a week to continue his recovery before taking his test in the simulator. If he passes it without significant pain, his return in Azerbaijan will become possible. Otherwise, Red Bull will continue to prioritize his recovery, even if it means extending his replacement by Lawson.
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