Isack Hadjar sends message to Liam Lawson after Red Bull return

Oliver Harden
A close-up shot of Liam Lawson in a press conference with an inset of Isack Hadjar grinning

Liam Lawson deputised for Isack Hadjar at Zandvoort, Monza and Madrid

Isack Hadjar says Liam Lawson performed “very well” during his stint with Red Bull as the Frenchman recovered from a wrist injury.

And he says it was “interesting” to hear Lawson’s views on how the Red Bull RB22 compares to the Racing Bulls car.

Isack Hadjar: Liam Lawson feedback ‘very good’ for Red Bull

Hadjar will return to action at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a month out with a wrist injury.

The Frenchman was forced to miss three races – the Dutch, Italian and Spanish grands prix – with Lawson deputising alongside Max Verstappen.

Lawson scored points by finishing seventh and sixth at Zandvoort and Madrid respectively, with the New Zealander 14th at Monza after serving an engine penalty.

He will reassume his place at Racing Bulls alongside Arvid Lindblad from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Yuki Tsunoda reverting to his reserve role after standing in for Lawson.

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Appearing in Wednesday’s FIA press conference in Baku, Hadjar said it was positive for Red Bull to have an outsider like Lawson driving the RB22 to offer a direct comparison to the Racing Bulls car.

He went on to describe Lawson’s feedback as “very good” before praising his performances as a substitute.

Hadjar told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “I think it’s good to have a driver that’s actually driving another car coming into ours.

“Of course, the Red Bull is superior to the RB, but it’s good to hear from him about the weaknesses of our car, if there are any, and I’d say it’s interesting in that way.

“I won’t go into details, but it’s very good feedback for us.

“He’s done very well.”

In a statement confirming Hadjar’s return from injury for Baku, Red Bull said of Lawson: “The team would like to sincerely thank Liam for his 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.”

Red Bull announced on Wednesday that Hadjar will remain with the team for the F1 2027 season.

The Racing Bulls lineup for next season is yet to be decided, although PlanetF1.com understands that Lawson and Lindblad are likely to be retained.

It is thought that Nikola Tsolov, the 19-year-old Red Bull junior who currently leads the F2 standings, is likely to take a reserve role for F1 2027 with a view to a future F1 graduation.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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