Red Bull has ended the uncertainty surrounding Isack Hadjar’s return to Formula 1 action, confirming that the Frenchman is fully recovered from the wrist injury that kept him out of the last three grands prix.
Hadjar suffered the fracture during the summer break, forcing Red Bull to draft Liam Lawson into its senior team alongside Max Verstappen for the races in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain.
But Hadjar’s enforced spell on the sidelines is now over. Having completed his recovery, the 21-year-old will climb back into the RB22 for this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with his return bringing another reshuffle further down the Red Bull stable.
Hadjar gets the green light for Baku
Red Bull confirmed the news on Monday, putting an end to any lingering doubts about whether Hadjar would be ready for the demanding Baku City Circuit.
"Red Bull Racing is delighted to welcome Isack back this weekend," the team said. "Having made a successful recovery from his wrist injury, Isack will return to action at the Baku City Circuit on Thursday."
"I'm just so excited to get back into my car,” commented Hadjar. The last month has been tricky for me; it's the first time in my life that I've not been racing and that's a weird feeling to get used to.
“As soon as I suffered the injury, I've been fully focussed on my recovery so I can get back as quickly as possible.
“I want to thank Laurent and the Team for their patience throughout this process; it was important not to rush the decision and now I feel ready to get back to what I do best - driving.
“Baku is a unique circuit and one you need to be locked in for from the very start of the weekend. Although it's been quite a break since I was last in the car, our simulator session was positive and I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running."
Lawson return to Racing Bulls
Hadjar’s absence handed Lawson an unexpected opportunity to return to Red Bull machinery, and the Kiwi made the most of it. He scored seventh place at Zandvoort, followed that with an impressive sixth in Madrid and finished 14th at Monza.
Red Bull was quick to acknowledge the job Lawson performed while being thrust back into the senior squad at short notice.
"The team would like to sincerely thank Liam for his professionalism, dedication, and hard work over the past three races," Red Bull said.
"Stepping in under challenging circumstances, he delivered some impressive performances and made a valuable contribution to the team.
"We wish him all the best as he returns to Racing Bulls."
Lawson’s return to Racing Bulls alongside Arvid Lindblad also means Yuki Tsunoda drops out of the team’s race lineup, having scored a point at the Italian Grand Prix.
For Racing Bulls, the driver changes come with the team sitting sixth in the constructors’ standings on 77 points, nine clear of Alpine heading into the Baku weekend.
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