Isack Hadjar still in pain from injury as he makes F1 return with a new Red Bull contract

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Isack Hadjar said he’s still in pain from his fractured wrist as he makes his return to Formula 1 with confirmation of a contract extension to keep him with Red Bull as Max Verstappen’s teammate for 2027.

The confirmation Wednesday comes as Hadjar prepares to return to action at this week’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix after missing three races.

“I have a small fracture on the outside of the wrist. It’s just quite a long process. I didn’t need any surgery, so it’s all natural and it takes some time. It’s still going to be painful for a while,” Hadjar said Wednesday.

The French driver is getting back behind the wheel of an F1 car for the first time since the Hungarian Grand Prix in July, but said his wrist held up well during a test on the simulator.

“With the adrenaline on track and everything, I think I should be OK,” he added.

Hadjar reportedly injured his wrist during a boxing workout. Asked about that, he didn’t confirm how it happened but said he might need to wear strapping on the wrist in the future. He added that Red Bull will not be limiting his training.

“There are no restrictions. I’m not five years old, so I just need to think twice before,” he said.

The French driver is eighth in the standings despite his absence. He’s been consistent, placing in the top six in each of his last seven races, but has rarely been able to challenge four-time champion Verstappen’s pace.

“The period since his injury has been a difficult one for Isack, but this extension is a testament to how much we believe in him and we can’t wait to see him back out on track,” Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said.

Mekies said Hadjar had been “superb on and off track” since moving up from Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls after a strong rookie season in 2025, “which made extending his contract an easy decision”.

That means Verstappen will have the same teammate for a second season, the first time that’s happened since Sergio Perez was dropped at the end of 2024. Red Bull dropped Liam Lawson after two races in 2025 and Yuki Tsunoda replaced him but was dropped at the end of the year.

“From the moment I signed, I set out to dedicate myself to the team, and with the support of Laurent and everyone in (Red Bull headquarters at) Milton Keynes, I’ve been able to justify the faith they’ve had in me,” Hadjar said.

During his absence, Hadjar was reinstated to third place at the Monaco Grand Prix after appeals about penalties issued to Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. That was a first podium finish at Red Bull for Hadjar and matched his career-best result from last year’s Dutch Grand Prix, when he was at Racing Bulls.

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This story has been corrected. Hadjar was speaking Wednesday, not Thursday.

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