Isack Hadjar will sit out a second consecutive Formula 1 weekend as he continues his recovery from a wrist injury sustained during the summer break, Red Bull confirmed on Tuesday.
Liam Lawson, who stepped in for the Frenchman at Zandvoort last time out, will again line up alongside Max Verstappen at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend. Yuki Tsunoda will continue as Lawson's replacement at Racing Bulls, giving the Japanese driver a second outing after losing his full-time seat at the end of 2025.
"It's good to hear Isack is recovering well and is back in the car soon, but it's great to have another weekend with the team," Lawson said. The New Zealander finished seventh at Zandvoort, scoring points on his surprise return to the senior outfit.
"Zandvoort gave me a really useful first reference in the car, and having a full sprint weekend behind me means I'm coming into Monza with a much better understanding of the car and what I need from it," Lawson added.
Red Bull issued a statement saying Hadjar is making "encouraging progress following the wrist injury sustained during the summer break" over two weeks ago. The team stressed it "will take no unnecessary risks with his return to competition and wishes him a speedy recovery."
The wrist problem has now forced Hadjar to miss two races in a critical phase of his first full season in Formula 1. The young Frenchman, promoted from Formula 2 as part of Red Bull's long-term driver development plan, had been building momentum before the injury halted his campaign.
Neither Verstappen nor Lawson will take part in Friday's first practice session. Ayumu Iwasa, the Japanese junior driver, will drive Verstappen's RB22 in FP1 as Red Bull fulfils one of its mandatory practice runs for young drivers.
Tsunoda, meanwhile, expressed satisfaction with his return at Zandvoort, where he finished just outside the points in 11th. "I definitely enjoyed it overall, and I gave it 100%, as much as I can," he said. "I think I did pretty okay."
The Italian Grand Prix at Monza gets underway with practice on Friday.
Sources
https://www.racefans.net/2026/09/02/hadjar-to-miss-italian-grand-prix-lawson-and-tsunoda-continue-as-substitutes/ https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/lawson-to-replace-hadjar-again-at-red-bull-as-tsunoda-continues-to-substitute-for-racing-bulls-in-monza.4pI3a9wGM9uTDfK9DqRUMU
