Isack Hadjar’s return to Formula 1 could be delayed beyond the Italian Grand Prix after fresh reports raised concerns that Red Bull may take a more cautious approach to his wrist injury than first expected.
The Frenchman missed the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort after sustaining the injury during the summer break, with Liam Lawson stepping into the second Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen.
Red Bull initially hoped Hadjar could return at Monza. However, new reports suggest the team is preparing for the possibility that his recovery takes longer — and that rushing him back could risk turning a relatively short absence into a much more serious problem.
Fresh report raises concern over Hadjar’s recovery
TheJudge13 reported on Wednesday that Hadjar’s injury may be more serious than initially understood and claimed Red Bull is concerned that an early return at Monza could aggravate the wrist.
The report goes further, suggesting Hadjar is likely to miss the Italian Grand Prix and potentially the following round in Madrid while Red Bull assesses his recovery.
Crucially, there has been no official Red Bull confirmation that Hadjar will miss Monza, Madrid or the remainder of the season. The suggestion that he could be sidelined for much longer should therefore be treated as a reported risk rather than a confirmed prognosis.
That would be a change from Red Bull’s original outlook
When Hadjar was ruled out of Zandvoort, the official position was considerably more optimistic.
Formula 1 confirmed on 19 August that the injury would prevent Hadjar from racing at the Dutch Grand Prix, but no wider absence was announced.
Two days later, Sky Sports reported that Hadjar had suffered a small crack in a wrist bone and that both driver and team were hopeful he could return for the Italian Grand Prix.
That made Zandvoort look like a precautionary withdrawal designed to give the injury extra recovery time. The latest reports introduce more uncertainty over whether the original Monza target remains realistic.
Lawson remains ready if Hadjar misses Monza
Red Bull appears to be keeping its options open. GPblog reported this week that Lawson is remaining with Red Bull during the build-up to Monza and is being prepared for the scenario in which Hadjar is not yet ready to return.
That does not confirm another substitution, but it is a sensible precaution after Lawson handled his unexpected Zandvoort return strongly.
Tech Torque Media covered Lawson’s Red Bull comeback at the Dutch Grand Prix, where the New Zealander was required to adapt to the RB22 during a compressed Sprint weekend.
If Hadjar is ruled out again, Lawson would be the obvious candidate to continue alongside Verstappen, with Yuki Tsunoda potentially remaining in Lawson’s Racing Bulls seat.
Why Red Bull has little reason to rush Hadjar
From Red Bull’s perspective, the calculation is relatively straightforward. Hadjar has already established himself as an important part of the team’s 2026 campaign, but bringing him back before the wrist can comfortably withstand a full Grand Prix weekend would create an unnecessary risk.
Monza may not feature the relentless cornering loads of some circuits, but braking forces, kerb strikes, steering corrections and the physical demands of a modern Formula 1 car still place significant stress through a driver’s hands and wrists.
A setback at the Italian Grand Prix could potentially cost Hadjar considerably more racing than an additional week or two of recovery now.
That makes the next medical assessment more important than any target date. Red Bull can use Lawson if necessary, reducing the pressure to gamble on Hadjar’s fitness.
Monza now becomes the key decision point
The Italian Grand Prix takes place from 4–6 September, leaving Hadjar only a limited recovery window following Zandvoort.
As outlined in Tech Torque Media’s Italian Grand Prix preview, Monza begins a crucial phase of the season and presents teams with a very different technical challenge to Zandvoort.
If Hadjar is not cleared for Monza, attention would immediately turn to Madrid and whether Red Bull chooses to give him a longer uninterrupted recovery period rather than assessing his fitness from race to race.
For now, though, any suggestion that his 2026 season is over remains premature.
A frustrating setback after a strong season
The timing is particularly frustrating for Hadjar after an encouraging first season with Red Bull.
His performances alongside Verstappen have helped settle a second seat that has been one of the team’s biggest recurring problems in recent years. An extended spell on the sidelines would interrupt that momentum just as the championship enters its final stretch.
Our original Hadjar injury report focused on the immediate Zandvoort absence. What has changed since then is the level of uncertainty surrounding the next step.
Tech Torque Verdict
There is an important distinction between Hadjar potentially missing more races and Hadjar being ruled out for the rest of 2026.
The first now looks like a genuine possibility. The second remains an unconfirmed worst-case scenario tied to the risk of aggravating the injury if he returns too soon.
Red Bull has enough cover in Lawson to avoid forcing the issue. If Hadjar needs to miss Monza — and even Madrid — protecting his wrist and ensuring he returns fully fit would make far more sense than chasing an aggressive comeback date.
Until the team provides a fresh medical update, the sensible position is that Hadjar’s return date is uncertain, Monza is no longer guaranteed, and an extended absence cannot yet be ruled out.
