Isack Hadjar praises Liam Lawson after Red Bull substitute stint

Isack Hadjar is back in the Racing Bulls cockpit this weekend, and he had nothing but praise for the man who filled his seat at Red Bull during his injury layoff.

Hadjar missed three races with a wrist injury, and Liam Lawson stepped up to partner Max Verstappen. The New Zealander scored points in two of those events, and his feedback from the RB22, says Hadjar, was "very good" for the sister team.

Why it matters:

Lawson's brief Red Bull stint gave Racing Bulls a rare direct comparison between the two cars. As someone who normally drives the RB, Lawson could pinpoint weaknesses in the Racing Bulls package that might otherwise go unnoticed. It also gave Red Bull a useful read on Lawson's potential ahead of the 2027 driver market.

The details:

• Hadjar returns to Racing Bulls alongside Arvid Lindblad in Baku, with Yuki Tsunoda reverting to reserve duty.
• Lawson finished 7th at Zandvoort, 6th at Madrid, and 14th at Monza after serving an engine penalty.
• "I think it's good to have a driver that's actually driving another car coming into ours," Hadjar said. "Of course, the Red Bull is superior to the RB, but it's good to hear from him about the weaknesses of our car. It's very good feedback for us. He's done very well."
• Red Bull publicly thanked Lawson for his "professionalism, dedication and hard work" over the past three races.

What's next:

Hadjar has already been confirmed to stay with Racing Bulls for 2027. The second seat is still undecided, though Lawson and Lindblad are likely to be retained. Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov, currently leading F2, is tipped to take a reserve role.