Isack Hadjar will miss his third straight Formula 1 race as he continues to recover from a wrist injury, with Red Bull confirming that the young French driver will not return for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. Liam Lawson will once again drive alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, while Yuki Tsunoda will remain with Racing Bulls.

The decision means Hadjar’s return to Formula 1 action will have to wait a little longer. While his recovery is progressing well, Red Bull does not want to take any unnecessary risks with his fitness.

Hadjar suffered a wrist fracture during the summer break while taking part in a boxing session. Boxing has been part of his regular training routine, but the injury came at an unfortunate time, just before the Dutch Grand Prix.

The injury forced Hadjar to miss the race at Zandvoort. Red Bull then made changes to its driver line-up, moving Lawson back into the main Red Bull team alongside Verstappen.

Tsunoda was also given an opportunity to return to the Racing Bulls seat.

That arrangement continued at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza last weekend. Now, with the Spanish race coming so quickly after Monza, Red Bull has decided that Hadjar needs more time before getting back behind the wheel. Red Bull confirmed that Hadjar’s recovery is moving in the right direction, but he is still not ready to drive a Formula 1 car.

The team also confirmed that Hadjar will travel to Madrid and support the team from the garage. That will allow him to remain involved with the team while continuing his recovery.

The decision is understandable because the Madrid race will take place at the new Madring circuit. A new track can be physically demanding for any driver, particularly one returning from an injury.

Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies had already warned that a return for Hadjar in Madrid could be difficult because of the short gap between the races. Now, Red Bull has chosen the safer option.

For Lawson, this means another chance to prove himself in the Red Bull car. His latest return has been much calmer than his difficult two-race spell at the beginning of 2025.

Lawson finished seventh at the Dutch Grand Prix, giving him a strong result during his return to the senior Red Bull team. However, his Italian Grand Prix was more difficult after an engine penalty made it almost impossible for him to fight for points.

Still, Lawson has shown enough pace to remain a useful option for Red Bull while Hadjar is unavailable. Tsunoda has also made the most of his opportunity at Racing Bulls.

The Japanese driver scored his first point of the season at Monza by finishing 10th. It was an important result after a difficult start to the campaign.

However, the Monza result is still under discussion. Audi is considering an appeal against the stewards’ decision not to punish Tsunoda for an incident that caused an additional formation lap.

For now, though, Tsunoda remains in the Racing Bulls seat for Madrid.

The situation gives both Lawson and Tsunoda another important weekend to show what they can do. Lawson will once again have the chance to compete directly alongside Verstappen, while Tsunoda will look to build on his first point of the season. For Hadjar, the priority is much simpler: recovery.

The French driver has already shown strong potential during his young Formula 1 career, and Red Bull clearly believes there is no reason to rush him back.

Missing three races is frustrating, especially during a busy part of the season, but returning too early could create a bigger problem.

The Spanish Grand Prix will therefore be another weekend where Hadjar watches from the sidelines while Lawson and Tsunoda carry the responsibility for Red Bull’s wider driver programme.

Finally, the decision shows that Red Bull is willing to be patient with Hadjar rather than risk his long-term fitness. His return may take a little longer, but the team will want him back only when he is fully ready to race.

Until then, Lawson and Tsunoda have another opportunity to make their mark, while Hadjar will continue his recovery and support the team from Madrid.