Hadjar Wrist Injury Clouds Red Bull’s Dutch GP Plans

Key Takeaways

What happened to Isack Hadjar

Isack Hadjar sustained a wrist injury during gym training in the buildup to the Dutch Grand Prix, according to De Telegraaf, one of the most reliable outlets on Red Bull affairs. The injury struck at the worst possible moment, right as the Formula 1 calendar resumes after the summer break for its 12th round of the 2026 season at Zandvoort.

A wrist injury carries particular weight for a Formula 1 driver, given how directly the wrist is involved in steering inputs, paddle-shift operation and the physical loads generated through high-speed corners. Because of that, doubts over Hadjar’s fitness for the weekend are being treated seriously inside the team rather than dismissed as a minor knock.

Red Bull has not confirmed the severity of the injury publicly, but the fact that a contingency plan is already being discussed suggests the team is preparing for the realistic possibility that its second driver will not be declared fit to compete.

Hadjar’s season before the setback

Isack Hadjar has been a consistent point-scorer alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull through 2026, currently eighth in the drivers’ championship with 23 points. His season includes a Monaco podium finish that was later stripped after a protest from Pierre Gasly was upheld five days after the race, a result that still stands as a marker of the pace Hadjar has shown in his rookie campaign at the senior team.

Verstappen, by contrast, has managed four podiums so far in a season that has started at a disadvantage for the reigning-form Red Bull package, leaving the team leaning more heavily than usual on Hadjar’s contribution to the constructors’ points tally.

Losing Hadjar for even a single weekend removes a driver who has been solid rather than spectacular in the best sense, banking points and staying largely out of trouble across eleven rounds.

Red Bull’s contingency plan

The most likely replacement for Hadjar is Liam Lawson, who would step into the RB22 if the Frenchman is ruled out of the Dutch Grand Prix. Lawson currently holds 43 points this season racing for Red Bull, nearly double Hadjar’s tally, and knows the senior team’s car and structure from the inside.

The move carries an echo of 2025, when Lawson was dropped from the Red Bull seat after two difficult Grands Prix in Australia and China early in that campaign, with Yuki Tsunoda promoted in his place. De Telegraaf reports that if Lawson moves up again for Zandvoort, Tsunoda would return to Racing Bulls to partner rising prospect Arvid Lindblad, effectively resetting the driver lineup that opened the 2025 season.

Unlike that earlier switch, which generated significant controversy at the time, the 2026 version of this reshuffle is being discussed with far less drama. Hadjar has established himself well enough alongside Verstappen that a temporary Lawson call-up is being framed as a practical fix rather than a step down for anyone involved.

• Liam Lawson: 43 championship points in 2026, the likely stand-in for Hadjar at Red Bull
• Isack Hadjar: 23 championship points, eighth in the standings
• Yuki Tsunoda: tipped to return to Racing Bulls alongside Arvid Lindblad if the swap goes ahead

What it means for the Dutch Grand Prix weekend

Red Bull will need a final call on Hadjar’s fitness before the Dutch Grand Prix weekend gets underway at Zandvoort, the 12th round of the 2026 calendar. Any decision to bench Hadjar would trigger the driver moves outlined above, with Lawson expected to be confirmed in the RB22 alongside Max Verstappen should that scenario play out.

For a home race on the Dutch calendar, the timing adds extra scrutiny, with local and international attention on Verstappen’s side of the garage compounded by uncertainty over his teammate. Red Bull has not issued an official statement confirming Hadjar’s status as of 2026-08-19, leaving the paddock to work from De Telegraaf’s reporting until the team communicates a decision closer to first practice.

Whatever is decided, the situation underlines how thin the margin can be between a driver holding a championship seat and losing it, a reality Lawson himself experienced in 2025 and one Tsunoda could face again depending on how the wrist injury develops.

The visual side of a season already full of storylines

A driver swap at Red Bull would also put fresh attention on the helmets and liveries carried into Zandvoort, from Verstappen’s home-race design to whichever driver lines up in the second RB22. Fans following the 2026 season closely often want to mark moments like these with something tangible from the sport rather than just headlines.

123Helmets.com carries full-size 1:1 display helmets inspired by the drivers and teams competing this season, built as collector pieces for fans who want a lasting reminder of a season already shaped by injuries, protests and driver swaps.

FAQ

Q: Will Isack Hadjar race in the Dutch Grand Prix?
It is uncertain as of 2026-08-19. Hadjar sustained a wrist injury in gym training before the 12th round of the 2026 season and Red Bull has not confirmed whether he will be fit to compete at Zandvoort.

Q: Who would replace Isack Hadjar at Red Bull?
Liam Lawson is the leading candidate. He currently holds 43 championship points in 2026 and previously raced for Red Bull before being moved to Racing Bulls in 2025.

Q: Why did Isack Hadjar lose his Monaco podium?
A protest filed by Pierre Gasly was upheld five days after the Monaco race, resulting in Hadjar’s podium finish being taken away despite crossing the line in a points-scoring position that day.

Q: How many points does Isack Hadjar have in the 2026 season?
Hadjar has 23 points and sits eighth in the drivers’ championship heading into the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.

Q: What would happen to Yuki Tsunoda if Lawson moves to Red Bull?
Tsunoda would be expected to return to Racing Bulls alongside Arvid Lindblad, according to De Telegraaf, reversing the driver lineup Red Bull used at the start of the 2025 season.

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