Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar is “hopeful” of returning to the Formula 1 grid for the Italian Grand Prix after a wrist injury ruled him out of the Dutch Grand Prix.
Hadjar suffered the injury during Formula 1’s summer shutdown. Although he missed the final F1 race at Zandvoort, the driver said he was “healing fast” while filming with the Milton Keynes-based team last weekend.
Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson replaced Hadjar alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen, but Hadjar remained at Zandvoort to support the team.
“Actually, it’s my first injury ever in my whole existence, career, whatever,” he told Red Bull in a behind-the-scenes video from the Dutch Grand Prix.
“It’s weird to be on the bench and I’m not happy about it, for me and for the team. Obviously, I want to be there every lap.”
Hadjar targets Monza return
Pointing to his braced wrist, Hadjar added: “It’s not swollen, which is very good. It’s a good sign. So, actually, it’s healing fast. Every day I have a bit more mobility and I’m hopeful for Monza.”
Lawson scored six points for Red Bull while standing in for Hadjar, finishing seventh at Zandvoort.
“As for Liam, it’s never easy to jump from one team to another,” team principal Laurent Mekies said. “Today he took the points that we were able to take. Yesterday, he did a very good job in qualifying, being very close to Max and we thank him for having been able to adapt so quickly to the team.”
The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is scheduled to take place from 4-6 September. Neither Red Bull nor Hadjar has officially confirmed whether he will return to the cockpit in Italy.
Hadjar currently sits eighth in the drivers’ standings with 68 points, while his team-mate Verstappen is sixth with 112 points.
