Isack Hadjar received advice from an unexpected source for his decision to skip the Dutch GP. The Red Bull driver missed the finale in Zandvoort due to an injury to his left wrist. Hadjar sustained the injury during a workout at the gym, after which he was advised not to participate in the sprint weekend. MotoGP legend Marc Márquez also gave advice to the young Parisian.
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Hadjar sustained the injury during a workout at the gym and ultimately decided not to compete in Zandvoort. For that decision, he spoke among others with Márquez. Although the Spaniard is not a medical expert, he could advise Hadjar from his own experience as a driver. “Yes, it’s true, I’m definitely not a doctor, but I could give him advice as a driver,” the Spaniard told MotoGP.com. Márquez tried to convince Hadjar that missing a race ultimately weighs less than worsening an injury.
‘Hadjar still has a long career ahead of him’
“Sometimes you think you can handle the pain and it’s hard to accept and say: ‘Okay, it’s better to stop and prepare for the next race’,” he explained. “That’s what I told him and I think he made the right decision; he still has a long career ahead of him,” Márquez added. The MotoGP rider drew from his own experiences with serious injuries. “I have learned in the past that missing a GP doesn’t change your life. However, worsening an injury because you want to get back on the track too quickly can.”
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“My life has changed enormously since the accident in Jerez,” Márquez referred to his own serious crash during the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix, which had major consequences for his career. In Zandvoort, Hadjar was eventually replaced by Racing Bulls driver and former teammate Liam Lawson. Whether Hadjar will be fit enough to participate in the next Italian GP at Monza in early September remains to be seen.
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