F1 star set to be dogged by injury for 'a while' after heavy crash

An image of Red Bull F1 drivers Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen in conversation — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 star set to be dogged by injury for 'a while' after heavy crash

Are wrists important for driving a car?

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Thursday 24 September 2026 14:52

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Isack Hadjar has admitted that the wrist injury which saw him miss the last three races of the F1 season will continue to nag at him for some time.

The French driver will return to the track this week for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, after sitting out at Zandvoort, Monza and the Madring with the injury he sustained late in the summer break.

In the FIA drivers' press conference in Baku on Wednesday, Hadjar opened up on the nature of his injury – a small fracture on the outside of the wrist – and his recovery process, admitting that he's going to be bothered by it for 'a while'.

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The second-year driver was replaced by Liam Lawson while he was absent and recovering, with the Kiwi picking up 14 points thanks to creditable showings at Zandvoort and the Madring.

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Hadjar: I'm not five years old

Speaking to the assembled media on Wednesday, Hadjar revealed: "I have a small fracture on the outside of the wrist and 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, but now it's going to be six weeks soon and, you know, it says that it's strong enough at the moment to resist the tensions."

The French driver confirmed that he'd run some testing on the simulator and come out in one piece, saying: "I had a test on the sim, it went well. So, you know, I think it's a similar environment to the cockpit.

"It's actually, if anything, nearly identical. So, if it's fine on the sim, with the adrenaline on track and everything, I think I should be okay. And yeah, the training sessions have not been fun, you know, because I've been doing basically nothing with the left limb. So yeah, it's been a bit boring."

Asked whether his team had banned him from things like boxing in the future, he answered: "I mean, next time I'll just be more careful. It happens, so no restrictions. I'm not five years old."

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F1 Red Bull Isack Hadjar