Red Bull maintains that “there is nothing amiss” with Isack Hadjar's rehabilitation.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has stated that Isack Hadjar's rehabilitation from his injury is progressing as expected, even though the French driver has been absent from the last three Formula 1 races.

Hadjar sustained a wrist injury during training in the summer break and has been substituted by Liam Lawson, with reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda stepping in for Racing Bulls.

Conversations with seven-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez, who faced significant injury troubles over the years, helped the French rookie realize he should not hurry back into competition. Marquez fractured his humerus at the 2020 Jerez opener, attempted to compete in the following race, and ended up sidelined for the rest of the season.

When asked after Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix about Hadjar’s status and his chances of racing in Baku, Mekies responded with a smile: “Isack is doing well; he’s downstairs at the moment. Joking aside, there’s nothing concerning about Isack's recovery.

“I believe we've learned that it's generally a standard timeframe for this type of injury, so we will maintain the same strategy we've been using.

“We will reassess the situation in a week. We have just over a week to evaluate how he feels, and then we will put him in the simulator to subject him to real-life pressures. 

“If he feels nearly 100%, we’ll proceed; if he thinks his recovery isn’t finished, we’ll continue to prioritize his healing. We don’t want to jeopardize his long-term ability to return to full strength by rushing him back too soon.”

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing

In the interim, Lawson will be quite occupied as the New Zealander needs to prepare for the upcoming event with both teams, in light of any updates regarding Hadjar’s condition.

“It's a lot of time spent at the factory and doing extensive preparations,” Lawson acknowledged. “I think this week off won’t really feel like a break.”

When asked if he was eager to return to his own car, he clarified: “It’s more about the preparation. Managing prep for both is somewhat challenging, and adapting to different cars.

“As the [Madrid] weekend comes to a close, I feel pretty at ease in this car. However, looking ahead, there’s so much uncertainty leading up to the race weekends.

“Probably until Wednesday or Thursday before Baku will be when that decision is made, and that makes it quite hard to mentally gear up for which car I’ll be driving.

“But, at the same time, as I mentioned, the more I drive this one, the more comfortable I get. Transitioning back now will be quite challenging. It's a completely different driving experience.”

Lawson has accumulated 14 points over his three races with Red Bull, securing his ninth position in the drivers’ standings. He is now just 12 points behind Hadjar.

Additional reporting by Ronald Vording and Cihangir Perperik