Isack Hadjar will have to miss the upcoming Dutch GP at Zandvoort. The Frenchman is suffering from a wrist injury and is therefore not fit enough to compete, Red Bull has confirmed. Liam Lawson will temporarily take his place in the main team. The New Zealander from Racing Bulls already raced twice alongside Max Verstappen last year, but due to disappointing results, he was demoted back to the sister team.
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Hadjar sustained the wrist injury during preparations for the Dutch GP. Red Bull has now confirmed that the 21-year-old Frenchman will not be able to compete at Circuit Zandvoort. A wrist injury can have serious consequences for an F1 driver, as the hands and wrists are heavily strained during a race. Daniel Ricciardo and Lance Stroll have also had to miss Grands Prix in the past due to similar complaints.
Red Bull gives Liam Lawson a second chance
Lawson has meanwhile been called up to replace Hadjar. The 24-year-old driver already inherited the Red Bull seat from Sergio Pérez in 2025 and moved up from Racing Bulls to the main team. However, after two disappointing performances in Australia and China, he had to give up his place to Yuki Tsunoda. With Hadjar out, Lawson now gets another chance to prove himself at Red Bull. Tsunoda, who also faded alongside Verstappen last year and has since served as a reserve driver, steps in at Racing Bulls.
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Missing the Dutch GP is mainly a setback for Hadjar’s championship aspirations. However, the young Frenchman has already made a good impression on the team management. Team principal Laurent Mekies previously expressed satisfaction with Hadjar’s performances and Red Bull is expected to want to extend his contract. During his rookie season, Hadjar also managed to achieve an impressive result at Zandvoort, where he finished third and thus secured his first podium in Formula 1. For his second Dutch Grand Prix, Hadjar had a helmet specially designed as a tribute to his first F1 trophy.
Isack has sustained a wrist injury that will prevent him from racing in Zandvoort.
We will be welcoming back Liam Lawson, who will replace him in RB22.
Speedy recovery, Isack!#F1 || #DutchGP 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/DWXsGGP4qY
Read more ‘Isack Hadjar threatens to miss Dutch GP due to wrist injury, Liam Lawson ready for Red Bull return’
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) August 19, 2026
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