Unfortunately for Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar, he has to sit out his third consecutive race weekend.
Red Bull Racing has confirmed that Isack Hadjar will miss the upcoming F1 Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid. The French driver is still recovering from his fractured wrist injury, but the team said that he's "progressing positively."
It does make sense for Red Bull to take a cautious approach and have Hadjar sit out the full double-header (Monza and Madrid). You could expect Hadjar to return to the main Red Bull seat when the F1 grid returns to the streets of Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 24-26.
Hadjar has been a pillar of consistency before his unfortunate injury. He has scored 71 points this season, including the recently reinstated third-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix and the incredible comeback drive at Belgium. Plus, he has finished at least P6 in his last seven races.
Things are looking up for the 21-year-old driver, but he has to pass the baton again to his comrades, at least for the next race at the Madring.
The Red Bull replacements are doing well
Despite Hadjar sitting out at Madrid, the Red Bull garage are confident in the abilities of their replacement drivers.
Liam Lawson was temporarily promoted to Hadjar's seat, and has been doing well. He finished P7 in the Dutch Grand Prix, scoring six points for the team. He had a setback at Monza when a front wing damage forced him to pit and lose time, but Lawson has been a much-impreoved driver this season. The Kiwi driver now has 51 points to his name, the best among the midfield drivers.
And then there's Yuki Tsunoda, one of the pleasant surprises at Monza. In just his second race this season, the Japanese driver took his Racing Bulls car to a P10 finish in the Italian GP. He was also so close to the points in the Netherlands, where he crossed the checkered flag in 11th place.
Rumors of a Haas seat for Tsunoda
Thanks to his excellent performance at the Dutch and Italian Grand Prix, rumors are now flying around regarding Haas's increased interest in Tsunoda. The American outfit are looking to replace Esteban Ocon, who has had an underwhelming performance this season.
Tsunoda has ties with fellow Japanese countryman and current team principal Ayao Komatsu. It's still gossip talk for now, but at the very least, Tsunoda is proving that he still belongs to the main F1 grid.
