Hadjar Out Again as Lawson Seizes Red Bull Opportunity in Madrid

Isack Hadjar’s wait for a full Red Bull race weekend goes on. The Frenchman will miss a third consecutive Grand Prix, ruled out of the Spanish round in Madrid as he continues to recover from a fractured wrist.

His absence opens the door once more for Liam Lawson, who keeps the seat alongside Max Verstappen after standing in at Zandvoort and Monza. Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, stays put at Racing Bulls after two quietly effective weekends that have pushed his name back into the conversation for a long‑term return.

“After racing for the team in Zandvoort and Monza, Liam will continue to drive alongside Max at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The decision has been taken as Isack's recovery continues to progress positively. While he is not yet ready to return to the cockpit, he will be in Madrid supporting the team. Everyone at Red Bull Racing looks forward to welcoming Isack back behind the wheel very soon.”

For Hadjar, the timing could hardly be more frustrating. The 19‑year‑old damaged his wrist during the summer break in what should have been a routine boxing workout, suffering a hairline fracture that has now ruled him out of the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix. In a season where every lap in a front‑running car matters, he is left watching from the garage.

Lawson, by contrast, has seized the opportunity to reset his Red Bull story.

At Zandvoort he came out swinging. He qualified just a tenth shy of Verstappen and converted that pace into seventh place in the race, a sharp contrast to his two early‑2025 outings for the team that ended with him being dropped. The raw speed was there, the composure too, and suddenly his name was back on every paddock shortlist.

Monza was messier, but it didn’t dull the impression. Lawson’s qualifying run ended in Q2 after he was impeded by Oscar Piastri on his best lap, then his race was compromised before it even began. Engine penalties sent him to the pit lane, and contact with Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg at an early standing restart forced a front‑wing change. He salvaged 14th while Verstappen went on to the podium, a reminder of how thin the margins are when you’re auditioning in real time.

Tsunoda has been playing a different game altogether. No fireworks, just points and consistency.

The Japanese driver, dropped by Red Bull last season, has pieced together two solid weekends at Racing Bulls. He finished just ahead of team‑mate Arvid Lindblad at Zandvoort, then snatched a point with 10th at Monza. It was the sort of performance that doesn’t dominate highlight reels but does get logged in team bosses’ notebooks.

Monza, though, may not be over yet. Audi look set to appeal the result after an incident at the standing restart, when Tsunoda lined up in the wrong grid slot and triggered an extra formation lap. Any fallout from that protest will play out in the background while he tries to keep his late‑career push alive.

At 26, Tsunoda knows he is fighting the clock as much as the field. Speaking before the Italian Grand Prix, he made no secret of his ambition to land a full‑time drive again, even if it means waiting until 2027.

“I'm free! Would love to hear those calls, but not yet,” he said. “It's good that things are going positive, at least. Obviously, my primary target is to be in Formula 1. Let's see. In this world anything can happen. At the same time, it's also knowing that it's not easy to have a seat.”

Madrid now becomes a crossroads of sorts. Lawson has another weekend to prove he can live with Verstappen in equal machinery. Hadjar must show patience while his wrist heals and his rivals bank mileage. Tsunoda, steady rather than spectacular, keeps stacking results and waiting for the phone to ring.

For a team that has never been short of options, Red Bull suddenly have a different kind of problem: three drivers, one future, and a new street race in Madrid where every session could tilt the balance.