Marco Rossi · F1 Correspondent
A wrist injury sustained during the summer break forces both Red Bull teams to reorganize their driver lineup for Zandvoort.
Isack Hadjar will miss the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort due to a wrist injury suffered during training in the summer break. Rather than a simple driver swap, Red Bull addresses the absence with a reshuffle between its two teams: Liam Lawson moves from Racing Bulls to Red Bull Racing, taking Hadjar’s seat alongside Max Verstappen, while test and reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda makes his racing comeback with Racing Bulls.
An Untimely Setback
The timing could hardly be worse for Hadjar. The Frenchman had established himself as a reliable points scorer for Red Bull during the current season, and the Zandvoort absence likely feels like a significant blow, particularly with regard to the team championship. Based on available information, the full extent of his injury and how long he will need to sit out remain unclear.
Red Bull’s decision to avoid a simple replacement in the same car and instead reshuffle both teams demonstrates how closely integrated driver planning has become between Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. This approach allows the team to place its most experienced available driver directly into the stronger car, sparing a complete newcomer from being thrust into competitive action without adequate preparation.
Lawson’s Second Chance Alongside Verstappen
For Liam Lawson, the promotion to Red Bull Racing represents a return to familiar territory. The New Zealander will now share the grid with Max Verstappen in a car that carries substantially higher expectations than his Racing Bulls seat. How Lawson performs under this pressure will likely be closely scrutinized within Red Bull’s driver strategy, given the team’s historical willingness to rotate its second-seat candidates.
The short-notice nature of the assignment leaves little room for conventional preparation. Lawson must adapt to a car whose balance and tire behavior will likely differ noticeably from the Racing Bulls machine in the limited time before the race weekend, a factor that should never be underestimated in Formula 1.
Tsunoda’s Unexpected Return to Racing
Lawson’s move opens a seat at Racing Bulls, which Yuki Tsunoda will occupy. The Japanese driver, who has served as test and reserve driver behind the scenes, returns to racing unexpectedly and makes his comeback in Zandvoort. For Tsunoda, a longtime fixture in the paddock, this opportunity should provide a welcome chance to step back into the spotlight after weeks away from race action.
Racing Bulls faces an unconventional situation: a driver who has had no recent race-pace experience in the current car must immediately integrate under competitive conditions. Whether this makeshift solution works for either team will become apparent over the Zandvoort weekend, while Hadjar’s timeline for return to track action remains an open question.
