Hadjar confirmed for Red Bull return in Baku

Isack Hadjar will make his Red Bull return this weekend in Baku, with the team confirming the Frenchman's comeback after he recovered from the wrist injury that kept him out since the summer break. Liam Lawson, who deputised alongside Max Verstappen at Zandvoort, Monza and Madrid, moves back to Racing Bulls.

Why it matters:

Red Bull refused to rush Hadjar and now gets its preferred line-up back in time for a triple-header. The move also restores Racing Bulls' original pairing of Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, while Yuki Tsunoda's temporary stint with the team comes to an end.

The Details:

• Hadjar injured his wrist during F1's summer break and has been sidelined since, with Red Bull saying it wanted him fully comfortable before returning.
• Team principal Laurent Mekies said in Madrid that the recovery was going as planned and there was "nothing wrong" with his progress.
• Red Bull confirmed Hadjar would rejoin the car on Thursday at the Baku City Circuit.
• Lawson scored points in two of his three fill-in appearances: seventh at Zandvoort, sixth in Madrid and 14th at Monza after front-wing damage from contact with Nico Hulkenberg.
• Red Bull thanked Lawson for his "professionalism, dedication and hard work" during a difficult situation.
• Racing Bulls confirmed Lawson is back alongside Lindblad for Baku.
• Tsunoda, who filled in for Lawson at Racing Bulls across the same three events, finished 11th at Zandvoort, 10th at Monza and 14th in Madrid.

What's next:

Hadjar will line up alongside Verstappen as F1 kicks off three consecutive race weekends in Azerbaijan, Malaysia and Singapore. With both Red Bull teams back to their original driver pairings, the focus now shifts to maximising the upcoming stretch.