Isack Hadjar returned to Formula 1 in spectacular fashion at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing third for Red Bull after missing three races with a wrist injury sustained while boxing. The French driver celebrated what he considers his first Red Bull podium earned purely on pace and joked that the next time he steps into a boxing session, he intends to “use his brain”.
Missing three Grands Prix through injury, having his place in the team confirmed and then immediately returning to the podium sounds almost like an ideal deal. That is exactly how Isack Hadjar’s return unfolded in Baku, where he finished behind George Russell and Max Verstappen to complete an impressive comeback weekend.
Isack Hadjar jokes about boxing injury after Baku podium
Isack Hadjar had been absent from the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix because of a wrist injury suffered during a boxing session. After recovering sufficiently to return in Azerbaijan, he immediately placed himself back among Formula 1’s leading drivers.
Speaking after the race, Isack Hadjar was able to joke about the incident that had kept him on the sidelines.
“It was a fantastic weekend. The next time I box, I hope I use my brain,” Isack Hadjar said.
The podium completed a remarkable return for the French driver, who had gone into the Baku weekend needing to rebuild confidence after several weeks away from competition.
Hadjar says Baku podium was earned entirely through pace
What pleased Isack Hadjar most was the way the result was achieved. Rather than benefiting primarily from unusual circumstances elsewhere in the race, the Red Bull driver felt his speed was what put him on the podium.
“I feel like this is my first podium in Red Bull that came purely because of how fast I was, because in Monaco a lot of things happened,” Isack Hadjar explained. “This time, no. We earned this result on track.”
Isack Hadjar qualified fourth in Baku before moving into third during the race and eventually finishing 10.704 seconds behind winner George Russell. The result also put two Red Bulls on the podium, with Max Verstappen taking second.
Isack Hadjar enjoyed fighting alongside Max Verstappen
Isack Hadjar also attracted considerable attention for his particularly polite team-radio exchanges when he found himself running faster than Max Verstappen after previously allowing his team-mate through.
At that stage of the race, Max Verstappen was running on medium tyres while Isack Hadjar had the softer compound, leaving the returning driver in the unusual position of appearing to have more pace than his four-time World Champion team-mate.
Rather than turning the situation into an aggressive internal battle, Isack Hadjar carefully managed the encounter and later described how much he enjoyed racing alongside Max Verstappen.
“It was nice and fun being there with Max and coming through the field with all those overtakes,” Isack Hadjar said. “The car has definitely improved compared with the one I left in Budapest. I hope I can fight for podiums consistently during this final part of the season.”
Red Bull progress gives Hadjar hope for more podiums
That final observation may be particularly encouraging for Red Bull. Isack Hadjar had not raced the car since Budapest, meaning his return offered him a direct comparison between the RB22 he left before his injury and the version he drove in Azerbaijan.
His conclusion was positive: the car has taken a clear step forward. Red Bull has continued developing the RB22 despite increasingly shifting attention towards the future, while Max Verstappen remains central to the team’s long-term plans after extending his Red Bull contract through 2030.
For Isack Hadjar, however, Baku was first and foremost about returning to competition after three races away. He came back, immediately fought near the front and finished on the podium on pace. After the frustration caused by his boxing injury, it was about as successful a Formula 1 comeback as he could have hoped for.
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