Isack Hadjar will sit out the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid as he continues his recovery from a fractured wrist. Liam Lawson has been named to replace him for a third consecutive race alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, while Yuki Tsunoda maintains his position at Racing Bulls.
Hadjar sustained the hairline fracture during a routine boxing session amid the summer break, a setback that has already forced him to miss the previous races in the Netherlands and Italy. A Red Bull statement confirmed that Lawson will remain in the cockpit for the Madrid event, noting that while Hadjar’s recovery is progressing positively, he is not yet medically cleared to return to the car. The French driver will nonetheless travel to Spain to support the team in person.
Lawson brings mixed momentum into the weekend. He delivered a strong performance at Zandvoort, qualifying just one-tenth of a second behind Verstappen and finishing seventh, a marked improvement on his earlier Red Bull outings in 2025. However, his form at Monza was more challenging; he was eliminated in Q2 after contact with Oscar Piastri and dropped to 14th in the race after a pit-stop penalty and a collision with Nico Hulkenberg on the restart.
Meanwhile, Tsunoda is seeking to cement his place in Formula 1 for the 2027 season after rejoining the grid with Racing Bulls following his release last year. The 26-year-old has matched the pace of teammate Arvid Lindblad and scored points in Monza. “I’m free! Would love to hear those calls, but not yet,” Tsunoda said regarding his future. “It’s good that things are going positive, at least. Obviously, my primary target is to be in Formula 1… it’s also knowing that it’s not easy to have a seat.”
Formula 1 heads to the new Madring circuit in Madrid this weekend, with all sessions broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
Can’t wait to see how the cars handle the new Madring circuit! Sounds like an exciting weekend ahead.
Third race for Lawson is a lot of pressure. Let’s see if he can maintain consistency or if Monza fatigue sets in.
Tsunoda needs to secure that 2027 seat now. He’s showing pace, so this is his moment to shine at Madring.
Boxing got him? Really? Seems like a bizarre way to break a wrist for a F1 driver in the summer break.
Lawson’s Zandvoort drive was solid, but Madrid will be tricky. Glad Hadjar is okay though!