Hadjar back in the saddle for Baku

Isack Hadjar will return to racing for Red Bull at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix following his recovery from a wrist injury.

The Frenchman has been absent since suffering the injury when training during the August break, ruling him out of three races at Zandvoort, Monza and Madrid. Red Bull was keen to stress it would not rush Hadjar back until he was fully recovered, but after scans and simulator sessions he has been deemed fit to return for the upcoming triple header that starts in Baku.

Hadjar’s return means Liam Lawson will revert to his Racing Bulls seat, having filled in at Red Bull for his former teammate over the past three rounds.

“Oracle Red Bull Racing is delighted to welcome Isack back this weekend,” a team statement read. “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. Stepping in under challenging circumstances, he delivered some impressive performances and made a valuable contribution to the team. We wish him all the very best as he returns to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.”

Hadjar says it has been a strange spell on the sidelines, but he is grateful to Red Bull for not putting pressure on him to return at an earlier stage.

“I'm just so excited to get back into my car,” Hadjar said. “The last month has been tricky for me; it's the first time in my life that I've not been racing and that's a weird feeling to get used to. As soon as I suffered the injury, I've been fully focussed on my recovery so I can get back as quickly as possible.

“I want to thank Laurent and the team for their patience throughout this process; it was important not to rush the decision and now I feel ready to get back to what I do best – driving. Baku is a unique circuit and one you need to be locked in for from the very start of the weekend. Although it's been quite a break since I was last in the car, our simulator session was positive and I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running.”

With Hadjar and Lawson back in their full-time seats, Yuki Tsunoda – who had replaced Lawson at Racing Bulls since the August break – will return to his reserve role.