Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies insists Isack Hadjar is recovering normally from a wrist injury ahead of the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Hadjar missed three consecutive Formula 1 races after sustaining the injury during the summer break. Mekies dismissed speculation regarding potential tendon damage.
“Isack’s recovery is progressing according to plan,” Mekies told Speed Week, as quoted by Nextgen-Auto.com. “It’s a normal recovery time for the injury he has. We will continue with the same approach we’ve been using so far.”
Simulator Tests Will Determine Return
The ongoing uncertainty places immense operational strain on Liam Lawson. The New Zealander must divide his simulator work between two teams while awaiting a final decision.
“It’s a lot of time at the factory and doing a lot of extra preparations,” Lawson told motorsport.com. “Probably all the way up to Wednesday or Thursday for Baku will be, potentially, when that’s decided, and that’s quite tricky to mentally prepare for what car I’m going to drive.”
Red Bull will evaluate Hadjar in the simulator next week before making a choice. Mekies stated the team will prioritise a full recovery over an early return.
Lawson must adapt to contrasting machinery at short notice. This sudden unpredictability mirrors the recent Sachsenring mechanical drama across the wider motorsport landscape.
The final driver assessment will dictate the official Red Bull lineup for the Baku street circuit next week.
