Red Bull and Racing Bulls Lock In Driver Line-Ups for Spanish GP in Madrid

Isack Hadjar will miss the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid as his wrist injury continues to heal, leaving Liam Lawson paired with Max Verstappen at Red Bull and Yuki Tsunoda alongside Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls for a third consecutive race.

Hadjar fractured his wrist during the summer break, an injury that initially ruled him out of the Dutch Grand Prix. When it failed to heal in time for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, both teams kept their substitute arrangements in place. The inaugural Madrid round has now also come too soon for the French driver, with Red Bull making the decision official.

Red Bull issued the following statement:

After racing for the team in Zandvoort and Monza, Liam will continue to drive alongside Max at this week’s Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The decision has been taken as Isack’s recovery continues to progress positively. While he is not yet ready to return to the cockpit, he will be in Madrid supporting the team. Everyone at Red Bull Racing looks forward to welcoming Isack back behind the wheel very soon.

How Lawson and Tsunoda Have Performed

Lawson had a capable outing at Zandvoort, qualifying eighth and finishing seventh as the only Red Bull left running after Verstappen’s first-lap crash. Monza was a different story. Having taken a grid penalty to expand Hadjar’s pool of power unit components, the New Zealander struggled to advance through the field and picked up front wing damage in a battle with Nico Hulkenberg, eventually crossing the line in P14 outside the points.

Lawson and Tsunoda. Source: planetf1.com

Tsunoda narrowly missed the points at the Dutch Grand Prix, finishing P11 just ahead of Lindblad. At Monza he converted that near-miss into a tenth-place finish and a championship point for Racing Bulls. That result is under threat, as Audi has lodged its intention to appeal the stewards’ decision not to penalise the Japanese driver for a start infringement, which could still alter the final Italian GP classification.

With Hadjar confirmed absent again, the Madrid weekend gives Lawson another opportunity to build his case at Red Bull, while Tsunoda looks to sustain his recent momentum at Racing Bulls. Follow TipsGG for full coverage of the Spanish Grand Prix.