Isack Hadjar Returns From Wrist Injury to Secure Podium at Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Isack Hadjar stepped out of the Oracle Red Bull Racing garage at the Baku City Circuit on Thursday with a heavily taped wrist and a massive point to prove. Six weeks after a summer training accident shattered his momentum, the French driver returned to the Formula 1 grid and immediately delivered, securing a third-place podium finish at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.[6][7]

The stakes for the weekend were immense. Hadjar had missed the Dutch, Italian, and Spanish Grands Prix while recovering, watching from the sidelines as Liam Lawson kept his seat warm. Red Bull's constructor lead demanded a two-car attack, and Hadjar answered the call by qualifying fourth—outqualifying his teammate Max Verstappen—and racing his way to third behind race winner George Russell and Verstappen.[3][5][7]

"It was a very slow build-up, but it brought me here," Hadjar said following the 51-lap race on Saturday afternoon. "I'm very, very happy for an actual first proper podium on pure pace. I'm very, very delighted."[7]

The injury itself occurred during the August summer break, forcing a sudden reshuffle within the Red Bull hierarchy. Lawson was drafted from his reserve role to drive the senior car for three rounds, keeping the team's points tally ticking over, while Yuki Tsunoda stepped back into the reserve slot.[4][6]

With Hadjar cleared by medical staff, Lawson now returns to the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls garage. Red Bull management expressed clear relief at having their primary lineup restored for the critical final stretch of the 2026 calendar.[4][6]

"Oracle Red Bull Racing is delighted to welcome Isack back this weekend," the team noted in a formal statement on Tuesday. "Having made a successful recovery from his wrist injury, Isack will return to action at the Baku City Circuit on Thursday. The team would like to sincerely thank Liam for his professionalism, dedication and hard work over the past three races."[4][6]

The Baku result caps a bizarre statistical month for Hadjar, who technically secured two podiums in September despite racing only once. Earlier in the month, the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated penalties against Alpine's Pierre Gasly from June's Monaco Grand Prix.[5]

That ruling officially elevated Hadjar to third in the Monaco race's final classification and restored three crucial championship points that had been temporarily stripped when the penalties were initially overturned.[5]

Sitting eighth in the Drivers' Championship with 86 points, Hadjar's focus now shifts to maintaining this form. He admitted the wrist was still "a bit numb" during the race but emphasized his readiness for the packed autumn schedule.[5][7]

"Even though it's a bit numb, I'm happy," Hadjar confirmed to reporters in the paddock. "I'm really looking forward to getting racing again. It's going to be a very packed schedule. I can't wait to be in Sepang."[7]

For Red Bull, the successful weekend in Azerbaijan proves their medical and reserve strategies worked exactly as intended. The true test of Hadjar's recovery now shifts to the high-speed, high-G-force corners of Sepang, where the physical demands will dictate whether his wrist can withstand the remainder of the 2026 title fight.[1][6]