It increasingly seems that Liam Lawson will not have to put away his Red Bull racing suit even after the Italian GP. Isack Hadjar is sidelined for the second time at Monza due to a wrist injury. According to Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, the Spanish GP in Madrid might still be added: “Madrid is in a few days already, so a comeback then will be difficult.”
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Isack Hadjar is sidelined for a second race weekend in a row during the Italian GP. The French-Algerian driver injured his wrist during the summer break. Since the resumption of the Formula 1 season at Zandvoort, Liam Lawson has therefore taken over the RB22 alongside Max Verstappen. It now increasingly looks like the New Zealander may get to complete a third race weekend as a substitute. According to Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, it is still very much in question whether Hadjar will have recovered in time for the Spanish GP, which is held in Madrid for the first time this year.
“Madrid is in a few days already, so that is difficult,” Mekies told Canal+. “We will review his situation again, but setting Madrid as a target for his comeback is probably difficult. But we look at it race by race and approach it together in a more rational way. Again, the priority – and what will influence our decision – is that we are sure he returns at one hundred percent and without any risk to his future.”
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No risks with Hadjar’s health
Mekies understands that the situation is frustrating for Hadjar, who as a driver wants to race. “Isack is doing well,” the Frenchman confirmed. “He can’t drive now, so of course I’m not going to tell you he’s happy – because he’s not. But his recovery is an absolute priority. We have no reason to take risks with that. His season has gone fantastic so far, he is still very young and he gets better every time he’s in the car, so it’s important that he only returns when he is one hundred percent fit again.”
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