Reporting note: this article draws on Sky Sports; Score808 Live provides the summary and editorial framing.
Hadjar Recovery on Track as Baku Evaluation Looms
Red Bull will subject Isack Hadjar to simulator testing before making a definitive decision on his return for the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The French driver has been sidelined for the past three rounds after suffering a wrist injury during training prior to the conclusion of the summer break.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed that while Hadjar’s rehabilitation is progressing along standard medical timelines, the team will not rush his return at the expense of long-term physical durability. The upcoming assessment in Milton Keynes will measure Hadjar’s capacity to handle sustained steering torque and load transfer before clearing him for competition.
“There is nothing wrong with Isack's recovery. I think we have learned that it's fundamentally a normal time for the sort of injuries he has,” Mekies said. “We have a full week, a bit more than a full week, to evaluate situations, to see how he feels and then to put him on the simulator, to expose him to real-life constraints. And if he feels close to 100 per cent, we go for it. If he feels the recovery is not completed, we will stick to our approach to put his recovery first.”
Physical Demands of Baku and the Triple-Header
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix presents a severe physical threshold for a recovering wrist. The Baku City Circuit combines heavy braking zones from high-speed straights into tight 90-degree corners, requiring high peak brake pressures and rapid steering inputs across bumpy street surfaces. The event also opens a grueling triple-header schedule that continues through Malaysia and Singapore.
The Baku race weekend will follow an adjusted timetable, with practice sessions beginning on Wednesday leading up to a Saturday Grand Prix on September 24–26.
Lawson Provides Stability in Relief Role
Liam Lawson has deputized in the senior Red Bull seat over the last three race weekends after stepping up from sister outfit Racing Bulls, where Yuki Tsunoda has continued to drive. The New Zealander has delivered consistent baseline data and solid points hauls, securing eighth on the grid twice and finishing sixth at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid alongside a points finish at Zandvoort.
“I think he's done a very good job,” Mekies said regarding Lawson’s stand-in performance. “He has taken some very important points with the P6. He did the same in Zandvoort, and in Monza he would have done something similar without the contact with Nico [Hulkenberg] and the damage. He's very calm in the car; he's very focused. He tries to get the basics right, and it's working for him.”
Red Bull management will finalize their driver lineup for Baku once Hadjar completes his high-stress simulator runs early next week.
