Isack Hadjar will be back driving for Red Bull at this week's Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a “successful recovery” from the wrist injury which kept him out of three Formula 1 races, the team said Tuesday.
Hadjar injured his wrist during F1's mid-season break, reportedly during a boxing workout, and was sidelined with a splint on his arm as he recovered.
Liam Lawson took over Hadjar's car for the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grand Prix races, while Yuki Tsunoda returned to F1 in Lawson's usual seat at Racing Bulls.
“Oracle Red Bull Racing is delighted to welcome Isack back this weekend. Having made a successful recovery from his wrist injury, Isack will return to action at the Baku City Circuit on Thursday,” Red Bull said.
“The team would sincerely like to thank Liam for this professionalism, dedication and hard work over the past three races. Stepping in under challenging circumstances, he delivered some impressive performances and made a valuable contribution to the team. We wish him all the very best as he returns to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.”
This week's race in Azerbaijan is, unusually, on a Saturday because of a public holiday. That means practice on Thursday and qualifying Friday.
Lawson adapted fast on his return to Red Bull as Max Verstappen's teammate, with a best finish of sixth in Madrid this month. It was a strong statement from the New Zealander after he was dropped by Red Bull two races into the 2025 season.
Verstappen said Lawson and Tsunoda's ability to be “immediately competitive” in unfamiliar cars was a sign that this season's F1 cars — which Verstappen has repeatedly criticized — are “numb to your driver inputs” and offer limited ways for the best drivers to distinguish themselves.
During his absence, Hadjar was reinstated to third place at the Monaco Grand Prix after appeals about penalties issued to Alpine's Pierre Gasly. That was a first podium finish at Red Bull for Hadjar and matched his career-best result from last year's Dutch Grand Prix, when he was at Racing Bulls.
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FILE - Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar prepares for the first practice ahead of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Nov. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
ABOARD THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER’S PLANE (AP) — Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday that Britain has agreed to provide limited military support to Saudi Arabia to repel attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Burnham told reporters as he flew to the United Nations General Assembly in New York that he had agreed the Royal Air Force will provide air-to-air refueling of Saudi planes. The agreement is for a matter of weeks, but Burnham said it will be kept under review.
The conflict between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has reignited, with the Houthis aiming missile and drone strikes at Saudi Arabia, including one that targeted Riyadh on Saturday before being intercepted. The Houthis also declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, attacking Saudi-linked vessels and oil facilities inside the kingdom, the world’s top oil exporter.
The Houthis advanced inside Yemen earlier this month, seizing the crucial port city of Mokha and key Red Sea islands allowing them to better monitor shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb, through which some 12% of world trade normally passes.
Burnham said he was “acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region" at a moment when Saudi Arabia is facing attacks and it is critical to keep passages for oil open.
Britain has condemned the Houthi attacks and said the U.K. will “work with partners to support regional stability, protect civilians and support humanitarian access.”
U.K. officials had previously declined to comment on “operational matters” but noted that Britain and Saudi Arabia have a close defense partnership.
The U.S., which bombed the Houthis under the Biden and Trump administrations, has shown no interest in getting involved militarily this time around.
U.K. officials say the agreement will start in the coming days, and involve one RAF Voyager refueling Saudi planes on “defensive” missions.
The Associated Press reported last week that Saudi Arabia has asked its allies, including France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air-defense support to the region to help defend against missiles and drones fired by Houthis and other Iran-backed groups on the kingdom.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham gives a speech during a reception at 10 Downing Street, London, Monday Sept. 21, 2026, to recognise the contribution of organisations and volunteers who supported communities across the UK this summer, through the recent heatwaves, wildfires and other emergencies. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP)
