Isack Hadjar is finally back behind the wheel, and his machine feels better than ever. Making his return to Formula 1 action on Thursday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after recovering from a wrist injury sustained during training in the summer break, Hadjar stepped right back into his RB22 at the Baku City Circuit. The injury had forced him to miss events at Zandvoort, Monza, and the all-new Madring track over the past month.
That said, his comeback day was not entirely straightforward. A gearbox issue bit into his track time during FP1, restricting him to just a handful of laps. Thankfully, he managed to gather a healthy number of laps through FP2, ultimately finishing that session in ninth position, 1.5 seconds away from pace-setter George Russell and seven tenths behind team mate Max Verstappen.
Despite the limited running, the physical machine underneath him left a strong impression. Red Bull arrived in Azerbaijan with a host of updates, including changes to the floor body, diffuser, and sidepods. Hadjar noted that the car felt nice with the new package, declaring it better than when he left it at July's Hungarian Grand Prix. While he wanted specific setup changes in FP1 that did not happen right away, he remains excited for tomorrow and unconcerned about raw pace for now.
Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache offered a wider view of the team's updates and the competitive landscape after the sessions. Wache confirmed that both cars ran the new parts successfully, stating that the team delivered what they expected from the first analysis. Still, the pecking order looks challenging. Wache pointed out that Mercedes are clearly in front on the short runs, while McLaren looks a little bit quicker or similar, and Ferrari remains harder to judge due to drivers aborting soft tyre laps before the end of the straight.
To top off his return to the paddock, Hadjar also received a major career boost for the future. Red Bull have activated their option to retain him, securing his seat alongside Verstappen for the 2027 season.
