Red Bull's Isack Hadjar Faces Crucial Simulator Test Ahead of Baku Return

The waiting game at Red Bull Racing is entering its final hours. After a freak summer-break boxing injury sidelined Isack Hadjar for three consecutive Grands Prix, the 21-year-old Frenchman is staring down a decisive simulator session this week at the team's Milton Keynes headquarters. The stakes are absolute: medical clearance to reclaim his race seat alongside Max Verstappen at the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 26.[3][4]

The injury itself—a fractured left wrist sustained while hitting a punching bag in August—derailed what had been a breakout 2026 campaign. Before the setback, Hadjar had racked up 71 championship points and secured a maiden podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix, proving he could handle the pressure of the premier class. "My first injury ever in my whole existence," Hadjar noted earlier this month, admitting it felt "weird to be on the bench" while the paddock moved on without him.[1][3]

In his absence, the Formula 1 grid underwent a rapid reshuffle. Liam Lawson stepped into the vacant Red Bull RB22, immediately delivering a seventh-place finish at Zandvoort, while Yuki Tsunoda was drafted from F1 exile to fill Lawson's spot at Racing Bulls. But Red Bull management has made it clear that the seat belongs to Hadjar the moment he is physically capable of wrestling the car around a circuit.[1][5]

Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies confirmed this weekend that Hadjar's rehabilitation has hit no unexpected snags, quashing paddock rumors of a delayed timeline. "There is nothing wrong with his recovery," Mekies stated. "I think we have learned that it's fundamentally a normal time for the sort of injury he has."[3][4]

The team is utilizing the extended gap following the inaugural Madrid Grand Prix to put Hadjar through his paces in a controlled environment. "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," Mekies explained. The simulator will replicate the exact steering loads and vibrations of the Baku City Circuit.[2][3]

That simulator test is no mere formality. Modern Formula 1 cars generate immense G-forces, and Baku's heavy braking zones demand absolute structural integrity from a driver's upper body. A fractured wrist compromises the exact biomechanics required to decelerate a car from 340 km/h.[5][6]

Former World Champion Nico Rosberg highlighted the brutal reality of the cockpit for a driver carrying upper-extremity damage. "It's really horrible to drive with a wrist injury," Rosberg detailed. "Especially, what you don't really think about is when you're braking, you fly forwards in the seat belts, and you have to push against the steering wheel because otherwise your body just flies forwards... if your wrist is broken, you can't do that; you'll be in too much pain."[5][6]

Because of those extreme physical demands, Red Bull's medical and engineering teams are taking a strictly conservative approach, refusing to risk Hadjar's long-term fitness for a short-term gain. The team opted to keep him out of the Spanish Grand Prix entirely once the driver indicated he was not fully recovered.[3][6]

"If he feels close to 100%, we go for it," Mekies stated regarding the upcoming Baku decision. "If he feels recovery is not completed, we will stick to our approach to put his recovery first. What we don't want to do is, by having an early return, compromise his long-term capacity to come back to 100%."[2][4]

If cleared, Hadjar will return to a high-pressure environment. Red Bull is locked in an intense development race, and missing three rounds means the Frenchman has lost crucial track time adapting to the latest RB22 aerodynamic upgrades. While he has been reviewing data from the sidelines, translating that to on-track performance in Azerbaijan will be a steep learning curve.[4]

Yet, the mood surrounding his potential return is overwhelmingly optimistic. Getting Hadjar back in the car restores Red Bull's intended dynamic duo and gives the young driver a chance to build on his 71-point foundation. The simulator will provide the final verdict in the coming days, but for the first time since July, the green light is finally within reach.[3][5]