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Isack Hadjar sidelined for Zandvoort; Liam Lawson poised to step in
A wrist injury has cast doubt on Isack Hadjar’s participation in the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix, with Liam Lawson expected to fill the seat.
By Nadia van Leeuwen - 2026-08-19T07:21:11.000Z - 2 min read
The Formula 1 paddock faces a late driver change ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, as reports indicate Isack Hadjar is set to miss the Zandvoort event due to a wrist injury. While official confirmation from the team regarding the extent of the damage remains pending, the timing of the injury presents a significant hurdle for Hadjar’s race weekend preparations.
As news of the injury emerged, internal preparations appear to have shifted quickly toward a replacement. Liam Lawson has been widely linked to the vacancy, with multiple sources suggesting he is the primary candidate to step into the cockpit for the race weekend at Zandvoort. Lawson, who has maintained close ties to the Red Bull family, remains the logical choice for an emergency substitute given his familiarity with the team’s procedures.
The physical demands of the Zandvoort circuit, known for its high-speed banked corners and demanding steering inputs, make a wrist injury particularly problematic for any driver. Even a minor fracture or soft tissue issue can be exacerbated by the constant G-force and heavy feedback through the steering wheel experienced at this track, necessitating a high level of physical fitness that an injured driver may struggle to meet.
Should Hadjar be officially ruled out, the move would mark a return to the grid for Lawson, who previously impressed in similar stand-in roles. His experience in jumping into a competitive car on short notice is a known quantity for the team, providing them with a safety net that avoids the steeper learning curve required for an inexperienced reserve driver.
Despite the growing consensus surrounding the driver swap, observers are awaiting a formal medical update from the team. The precise timeline of the injury, and whether it occurred during training or an unrelated incident, has not been confirmed. Without an official statement from the team, the exact nature of the medical advice received by Hadjar remains subject to speculation.
For now, the team is likely balancing the need for transparency with the logistical requirements of preparing a secondary driver for practice sessions. If Lawson is indeed confirmed, his primary task will be to integrate himself quickly into the current weekend’s engineering workflow, as the team looks to mitigate the impact of the sudden personnel change on their performance in the Netherlands.