The director of the Red Bull team, Laurent Mekies, has assured that Isack Hadjar’s recovery, after his injury, is on the right track, although the French driver has lost the last three Formula 1 races.
Hadjar injured his wrist during a practice session during the summer break and has been replaced by Liam Lawson, while Yuki Tsunoda has taken his place as a reserve driver for the Racing Bulls team.
Expert advice
The influence of Marc Márquez, seven-time MotoGP world champion, has played an important role in Hadjar’s decision not to rush his return. Márquez suffered an arm fracture during the 2020 season that forced him to be out of competition, so Hadjar is aware of the importance of the entire recovery process.
In a press conference after the Spanish Grand Prix, Mekies commented: ‘Isack is fine, right now he’s down here. Jokes aside, there’s nothing concerning about his recovery. We’ve learned that this is a normal time for the type of injuries he’s suffered.’
Progressive assessment
Mekies added that the team will evaluate Hadjar’s situation in a week. ‘We have more than a week to assess his condition, see how he feels, and get him working with the simulator to expose him to real loads,’ he detailed.
If Hadjar feels close to 100%, he will be able to compete; if not, the team will prioritize his long-term recovery. Mekies stressed that they do not want to compromise Hadjar’s ability to return successfully.
Lawson’s situation
Meanwhile, Lawson has to face an intense workload to prepare for the next race with both teams, while the evolution of Hadjar’s situation is considered. ‘This week won’t be much of a rest, I’m doing a lot of additional preparations,’ Lawson confessed.
After three races with Red Bull, Lawson has accumulated 14 points, thus consolidating his ninth position in the drivers’ standings, just 12 points behind Hadjar.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
