Hadjar gets the green light: Red Bull confirms Baku return after wrist injury

The 21-year-old Frenchman has been cleared to race alongside Max Verstappen on the unforgiving streets of Baku after successfully completing vital simulator evaluations and passing FIA medical checks. Hadjar had been out of action since Formula 1 returned from its summer hiatus, having sustained the wrist injury during a training session.

The injury forced Hadjar to miss rounds at Zandvoort, Monza, and Madrid, during which Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson deputised in the senior Red Bull seat. While Red Bull management opted for extreme caution to ensure Hadjar would not risk long-term setbacks by returning too early, his recent sessions in the simulator at Milton Keynes confirmed that he can withstand full steering and braking loads without pain or mobility restrictions.

Team principal Laurent Mekies had consistently emphasised that Hadjar would only return once he reached full fitness, a threshold the team and driver now agree has been met. The green light comes ahead of an unusual weekend schedule in Baku, where track action begins a day earlier than customary with Thursday practice sessions leading into a Saturday Grand Prix.

Hadjar’s return triggers the planned reshuffle across the Red Bull driver stable. Liam Lawson, who impressed during his stand-in duties by securing solid points finishes, including a standout sixth-place result in Madrid, will now step back into his race seat at Racing Bulls alongside rookie Arvid Lindblad.

Prior to his injury, Hadjar had put together an eye-catching campaign, highlighted by a podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix and 71 championship points to hold eighth in the Drivers' Championship standings.

Tackling Baku’s narrow barriers and abrasive braking zones will present an immediate physical challenge for Hadjar's repaired wrist. However, with the European leg wrapped up and the championship entering a punishing flyaway sequence, Red Bull will be counting on Hadjar to hit the ground running immediately and help fend off rivals in the Constructors' battle.