Hadjar Marks Injury Return With Baku Podium for Red Bull

Isack Hadjar could hardly have planned a better return. Back in his Red Bull after a wrist injury that sidelined him for six weeks and three races, the French driver qualified fourth in Baku and finished third in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on 26 September. With Max Verstappen second, Red Bull left Azerbaijan with a double podium, and team principal Laurent Mekies called Hadjar’s weekend “outstanding”.

The result also survived a post-race scare. Hadjar was summoned by the stewards over a pre-race practice-start infringement, but received only a warning, allowing him to keep third place. For a driver who had spent the previous weeks watching from home, it was a complete comeback weekend.

How the race unfolded

Hadjar started fourth, ahead of Verstappen, who was eighth after an engine problem in qualifying. Early in the race he showed notable maturity. Rather than defend hard against his faster team mate, he let Verstappen through, recognising that fighting would only cost both drivers time. That decision was praised by Red Bull as a sign of good racing judgement.

At the first Safety Car, Red Bull fitted Hadjar with medium tyres while Verstappen took softs. The decisive moment came after a restart, when Oscar Piastri locked up at Turn 1 and dropped down the order with damaged tyres. Hadjar took advantage to move into third behind George Russell and Verstappen, and he held that position to the finish, 10.704 seconds behind the winner.

“I think it was outstanding what Isack has produced this weekend, really outstanding,” Mekies said. “It shows you how cleverly the kid is racing, how much brain capacity he is developing while in the car.” Hadjar himself described it as his first podium “on pure pace”, noting that his earlier podium finishes had been helped by circumstances.

• Hadjar missed three races with a wrist injury before returning in Baku.
• He qualified fourth, ahead of team mate Verstappen.
• He let Verstappen past early rather than fight his faster team mate.
• Piastri’s lock-up opened the door for Hadjar to move into third.
• Red Bull finished second and third for a double podium.

The practice-start investigation

After the race, Hadjar and Williams driver Carlos Sainz were investigated separately for failing to follow the race director’s instructions during the reconnaissance laps. GrandPrix.com reports that Hadjar had intended to make a practice start, aborted it late, restarted and then passed cars waiting ahead before joining the track.

The stewards accepted that the sequence had distracted him, and reduced the sanction from the driving reprimand usually applied in comparable cases to a warning. Sainz also received a warning after remaining in the pit-exit road and passing a car waiting to make a practice start. In his case, Williams had given him incorrect instructions, which the stewards treated as a significant mitigating factor. Both drivers kept their results, with Sainz holding tenth.

Warnings may sound minor, but the difference matters. Reprimands accumulate and can eventually lead to grid penalties, so avoiding one protects a driver later in the season. For Hadjar, whose return had gone so well, the decision removed the only cloud over his weekend.

Why the comeback impressed

Formula 1 analyst James Hinchcliffe, writing for F1.com, noted that the result “was met with well wishes and good feelings up and down the paddock”. He explained that drivers returning from mid-season absences often come back with something to prove. Hadjar described his time away as sitting “on the couch” and said it felt “like an eternity”.

Returning to Baku was not an easy task. The street circuit punishes small errors, with walls close to the racing line and a long straight where energy management is critical. Hadjar had to rebuild his confidence and fitness quickly, adapt to any changes made to the car during his absence and handle a race with several Safety Car periods. He did all of that without a significant mistake.

His performance also reinforces Red Bull’s pairing. With Verstappen still searching for his first win of 2026, the team needs a second driver capable of scoring strong points. Hadjar’s 15 points in Baku lifted him to 86 in the standings, eighth overall, and helped Red Bull move to 249 points in the Teams’ Championship.

Looking ahead

• Whether Hadjar’s wrist holds up through the demanding Asian triple-header.
• How he performs at Sepang, a physical circuit in hot and humid conditions.
• Whether Red Bull can sustain its Baku pace at circuits with different demands.
• How the team manages Verstappen’s expected power-unit penalty.

Sepang will be a very different challenge. The Malaysian heat and humidity will test Hadjar’s physical recovery, and the circuit’s fast corners place heavy loads on the driver. If his wrist is fully healed, however, the momentum from Baku could carry him into a strong weekend in front of Malaysian fans.

Racing with a team mate like Verstappen

Driving alongside Max Verstappen is one of the most demanding roles in Formula 1. Verstappen sets a high benchmark, and team mates are often judged by how close they can get to him. Outqualifying him in Baku, even with Verstappen suffering engine trouble, gave Hadjar an important boost. More significant was the way he raced: understanding when to fight and when to let his team mate through showed the maturity Red Bull values.

That decision also helped the team. By not holding Verstappen up, Hadjar allowed him to chase the leaders, and Verstappen ultimately finished just 0.196 seconds behind George Russell. Had the Red Bulls fought each other early, both could have lost time and the team might not have finished second and third. Mekies’ comments about Hadjar’s “brain capacity” reflect how much the team appreciated that awareness.

Red Bull has had difficulty finding a consistent second driver in recent seasons, and several drivers have struggled alongside Verstappen. Hadjar’s return in Baku reinforces the view that he can handle the role. A strong finish to the season would strengthen his position further.

The Hinchcliffe analysis also highlighted how difficult a mid-season return can be. A driver must regain race sharpness quickly, often without the benefit of testing, and must trust an injured body under heavy loads. Doing that at a street circuit with little margin for error made Hadjar’s performance all the more impressive.

Most importantly, the podium showed that Hadjar’s absence has not dulled his speed. He qualified well, raced sensibly and made the most of the chances that came his way. Red Bull will hope that the Baku comeback is the start of a strong finish to his season rather than a one-off highlight.