Isack Hadjar faces a final Red Bull evaluation before the team decides whether he can return for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, scheduled for September 24 to 26. The fitness check follows the injury that kept the Frenchman’s recovery under close review ahead of Formula 1’s visit to Baku.
Red Bull has already offered a positive assessment of that recovery. Its latest public update said there was nothing wrong with his recovery, but the team has yet to confirm that Hadjar will race in Azerbaijan.
The decision matters for a driver sitting eighth in the 2026 championship with 71 points.
Final evaluation will settle Baku return
The September 21 update moved Hadjar’s status closer to a firm decision. He must now clear Red Bull’s final evaluation before getting approval to compete at Round 15 of the season.
Hadjar has built a 12-point advantage over Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, who occupies ninth place with 59. Pierre Gasly follows in 10th on 41 points, while Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad has 31 in 11th.
No substitute plan has been confirmed for Baku. Red Bull’s stated focus is Hadjar’s recovery and the final assessment, rather than announcing any change to its driver lineup.
The Azerbaijan weekend begins on Thursday, September 24, with the race scheduled for Saturday, September 26. That gives Red Bull a short window to complete its checks and prepare its final driver arrangements.
Hadjar holds eighth after 14 rounds
Hadjar enters the Baku week with a clear championship position. His 71 points place him behind Oscar Piastri, who has 120, and ahead of Lawson by 12.
The Red Bull driver’s strongest listed result of the season came in Monaco on June 7. He finished third, 23.394 seconds behind winner Kimi Antonelli, after the 78-lap race ran for 2:23:31.243.
That podium sits within a season dominated by Mercedes. Antonelli leads the drivers’ championship with 292 points after winning eight of the opening 14 Grands Prix. George Russell is second on 211, leaving the Mercedes teammates separated by 81 points.
Lewis Hamilton holds third for Ferrari with 191 points, five ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. Charles Leclerc has 167 in fifth, Max Verstappen has 145 in sixth and Piastri has 120 in seventh.
Red Bull prepares for a street-circuit weekend
The team heads to Azerbaijan after Verstappen finished second at the Spanish Grand Prix on September 13. Antonelli won that 57-lap race in 1:34:23.754, beating Verstappen by 4.351 seconds. Norris crossed the line third, 5.089 seconds behind the winner.
Hadjar’s availability will determine Red Bull’s full lineup for the next event. The team has scored with both of its regular drivers this season, although Verstappen’s 145-point total accounts for the larger share of their combined haul.
Baku also starts a concentrated run of events. Bahrain follows from October 2 to 4, then Singapore is scheduled for October 9 to 11. Any return in Azerbaijan would therefore place Hadjar back in the car before consecutive October race weekends.
Lawson waits as Red Bull makes its call
Lawson remains directly behind Hadjar in the standings, but Red Bull has not announced that the New Zealander will replace him in Azerbaijan. He continues in his Racing Bulls seat unless the teams confirm another arrangement.
The two drivers are separated by four championship positions from Lindblad, the other Racing Bulls driver. Lindblad’s 31 points put him four ahead of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and 13 ahead of Haas driver Oliver Bearman.
Red Bull’s final decision will be based on the evaluation rather than the championship table. The team’s positive recovery statement has established that Hadjar’s rehabilitation is progressing, while the pending check will determine whether he is ready for the demands of a Grand Prix weekend.
Baku begins the final nine rounds
Azerbaijan is Round 15 on a 23-race calendar, leaving nine Grands Prix from Baku through the Abu Dhabi finale. The final event is scheduled for December 4 to 6.
For Hadjar, the immediate timetable is much shorter. Red Bull must complete its last evaluation before track activity starts on September 24, with the Saturday race following two days later.
