– When can Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar make his comeback in Formula 1? The 21-year-old Frenchman injured his wrist a few weeks ago and therefore had to miss both the Dutch Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix this weekend (here in the live ticker!).
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The problem: The next race is already scheduled for the coming weekend at the new Madrid circuit in Madrid. It currently seems unlikely that Hadjar will be able to sit in the cockpit again then. “Madrid is just a few days away, so that is difficult,” emphasizes team principal Laurent Mekies in an interview with Canal+.
“We will examine him again, but starting in Madrid will probably be difficult,” the Frenchman adds clearly. But Mekies consciously does not want to put any time pressure on his driver’s recovery. “We take it race by race and look at the situation together very rationally.”
“What is decisive – and that will also determine our decision – is that he only returns when he is 100 percent fit and there is no risk to his further career.” For this exact reason, Hadjar has already exchanged views with MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez.
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The Spaniard knows from his own experience that a premature return behind the wheel can become dangerous – and in the worst case even affect the entire career. For this reason, Red Bull currently does not want to take any risks with Hadjar, who is only in his second Formula 1 season.
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Recovery for Isack Hadjar has “absolute priority”
“Isack is doing well,” Mekies takes the wind out of possible speculation that the injury might be much worse than initially suspected. “He can’t drive today; so I won’t tell you that he is happy, because he is not.”
“But his recovery has absolute priority. There is absolutely no reason to take risks in this regard,” adds the Red Bull team principal. “He had a fantastic start to the season; he is very young and improves with every outing in the car.”
“That is why it is important that he only returns when he is 100 percent fit again,” Mekies emphasizes. “So we will take the necessary time, listen to his own feeling and the advice of the doctors, and give him the time he needs. I am sure we will laugh about this soon.”
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