Nice guy Liam Lawson replaces Hadjar at Dutch GP

Liam Lawson replaces Hadjar at the Dutch GP in one of the most symmetrical stories Formula 1 has served up in years. Isack Hadjar injured his wrist during a boxing workout in the summer break and has been ruled unfit to race at Circuit Zandvoort this weekend. Red Bull confirmed the news on Wednesday, August 19, and the replacement name was no surprise to anyone watching the paddock closely.

Liam Lawson replaces Hadjar: the story behind the call

Red Bull confirmed in an official statement that Isack Hadjar had sustained a wrist injury during the summer shutdown, ruling him out of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort. Dutch publication De Telegraaf reported the injury occurred during gym training, while the BBC specified it happened during a boxing workout.

Red Bull chose not to elaborate on the cause. The Frenchman now has two weeks to recover before the Italian Grand Prix on September 6, though the full extent of the damage has not been officially confirmed.

Hadjar, who currently sits eighth in the standings and was on a run of seven Grands Prix in the points, will be substituted out for Lawson. That is the context worth holding onto. This is not a driver who has been struggling. The timing is simply brutal.

RNT Motorsports understands from sources close to the situation that the Lawson call-up was not a difficult decision internally at Red Bull. The team had been monitoring his impressive first half with Racing Bulls closely, and the view inside Milton Keynes was that he had done more than enough to earn a return to the senior car when the moment arrived.

Who is Liam Lawson? The Kiwi built for moments like this

Liam Lawson is a 24-year-old New Zealander from Pukekohe who has been a Red Bull junior since the age of 17. A race winner at pretty much every level of junior motorsport and a front-runner in the highly competitive F3 and F2 championships. The New Zealander was keenly awaiting his F1 chance as Red Bull’s reserve driver when a twist of fate presented it. Lawson also impressed Red Bull bosses with his DTM campaign in 2021, where he finished as runner-up after a controversial season finale.

Lawson eventually used his five-race stint with AlphaTauri in 2023 as a launch pad for full-time graduation, as the organisation finally moved on from Ricciardo in the latter half of 2024. That led to Red Bull promotion in 2025,

over Yuki Tsunoda, but after just two disastrous weekends the New Zealander was unceremoniously swapped with Tsunoda and returned to the satellite team. The demotion was public and painful. He responded the only way that matters: with results.

The 24-year-old is now more mature and has impressed with Red Bull’s sister squad this season, sitting ninth after 11 rounds with points in all but three grands prix so far this year. In Monaco, the drivers sealed their first double points result of the campaign, with Lawson leading the way in sixth ahead of Lindblad in seventh.

According to insiders who spoke with RNT Motorsports, the view inside the Red Bull driver programme is that Lawson’s temperament has visibly matured since the difficult 2025 campaign. He is calmer, more methodical, and no longer pressing in the way he did when the pressure of the senior seat first arrived.

A Red Bull Racing teammember said: “Liam is a really nice guy”

A golden chance for Liam Lawson at Zandvoort again

Zandvoort. Again. For Lawson, it is the second time in four years he has made an injury substitution at Zandvoort, having made his F1 debut in 2023 after Daniel Ricciardo’s practice crash broke his hand and wrist. After a sink-or-swim debut in the relentless rain at Zandvoort, the entire paddock stood up and took notice amid the intense humidity of Singapore, where the rookie brilliantly beat world champion Max Verstappen to a Q3 spot and bagged some valuable points on race day.

The parallel is almost too neat. Same circuit. Same Red Bull family. Another wrist injury. The move means Lawson has still not had a full season at one team since his debut at the same venue, the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix. That stat tells you everything about the volatility of life inside the Red Bull system.

This time the context is different, though. He knows the paddock, he knows the pressure, and he knows what riding this wave can do for a career. Lawson will now receive the opportunity to once again be Max Verstappen‘s team-mate, after doing so for the first two rounds of 2025 before being demoted back to Racing Bulls. Performing within touching distance of Verstappen, even for one weekend, would send a very clear message about the second half of his career.

A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to RNT Motorsports that Lawson’s primary goal heading into the weekend is not to be spectacular, but to be clean, consistent, and close to the Red Bull’s potential. The team simply wants to see a driver who respects the machinery and extracts what the RB22 can offer. That, more than a single flashy lap, is what earns trust at Red Bull.

Tsunoda gets his racing fix, but questions remain

Yuki Tsunoda admitted he was “dying” for a return to the grid after spending the opening half of the F1 2026 season on the sidelines, and has been called into action for the Dutch Grand Prix by Racing Bulls after Lawson was seconded to Red Bull. Tsunoda has no experience in F1 2026 machinery, and the Dutch GP marks his first race weekend appearance since the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP.

Tsunoda had been in line for a Haas race seat before the team opted to stick with Esteban Ocon for 2026, meaning he had to settle for a sideline role as Red Bull’s reserve driver this year. The decision to place him at Racing Bulls rather than step him directly into the Red Bull seat is worth noting analytically.

It has confirmed that Tsunoda is well and truly out of contention for another shot at the front-running outfit, sitting at the bottom of the food chain with Racing Bulls’ full-time drivers taking precedence. For all the sympathy his situation deserves, Red Bull’s message here is loud. You can read more about his reported IndyCar interest in our piece on the Tsunoda Meyer Shank link for 2027.

Racing Bulls have emerged as the leaders of the midfield pack across the first half of 2026, having risen to fifth in the Teams’ Championship after several double points finishes. Tsunoda joins that in-form environment cold. That is its own story.

Round 12 of the 2026 season is also the final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort before the circuit leaves the calendar. A farewell race. A comeback story. And a 24-year-old Kiwi who has been here before, ready to remind Red Bull exactly what they have. Keep up with every session this weekend on our 2026 Dutch GP schedule and how to watch guide.