Isack Hadjar returned from a wrist injury with an immediate Azerbaijan Grand Prix podium, but Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says it was not simply the French driver’s speed that made such a strong impression in Baku. His race pace, tactical discipline and maturity while running behind Max Verstappen all convinced Red Bull that Isack Hadjar had taken another significant step forward.
The comeback carried an unusual storyline. Isack Hadjar had been forced to miss three races after the summer break because of the wrist injury, and doctors had initially advised caution during his recovery. After further medical examinations and several simulator sessions, however, Isack Hadjar was cleared to return for Baku.
Isack Hadjar quickly rediscovers confidence in the RB22
Although the Baku City Circuit contains a large number of corners, many of them are slow-speed turns, making the track less physically demanding than some venues on the Formula 1 calendar. At the same time, its more technical sections require considerable confidence from the driver.
Isack Hadjar quickly rediscovered his feeling with the RB22. He was left with a small regret after qualifying, believing that without the three races he had missed there might even have been an opportunity to fight for a place on the front row.
The timing of the comeback also worked in his favour. Isack Hadjar returned not only as Red Bull introduced an upgrade package, but also at a circuit where the RB22 proved competitive, continuing the car’s strong form at other stop-start venues.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s qualifying mistake undoubtedly opened the door to a potential podium position, but Isack Hadjar performed strongly throughout the weekend. It also underlined how important it is for Red Bull to have a second driver capable of consistently converting the car’s potential into significant results alongside Max Verstappen.
In qualifying, Isack Hadjar has often not been far from Max Verstappen, although the gap has tended to increase over race distances. That pattern was visible again in Baku, particularly over the final ten laps, when the leading duo gained around seven seconds on Isack Hadjar while the French driver was using the less effective tyre compound.
In those circumstances, however, the crucial task was to convert the opportunity into a podium with a car capable of finishing inside the top three.
Laurent Mekies: ‘He had pace we had never seen before’
“I think what Isack did this weekend was exceptional, really exceptional,” Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said. “The most important thing is that he immediately felt comfortable in the car, without pain. Every time we met in the last few weeks, we told each other that we would wait for Isack to return at 100% because that was the priority, and that is what happened.”
Laurent Mekies was particularly encouraged by the way Isack Hadjar gradually built up his performance without forcing the process.
“He built up his rhythm, session after session, very calmly and with a lot of positive energy. Already in qualifying, putting the car in fourth position was a very, very solid result. I think the race pace he showed on the mediums and on the softs is something we had never seen before,” Laurent Mekies added.
One strong weekend alone does not establish a long-term trend, particularly at an event where Red Bull appeared to be the second-fastest team. What impressed the Milton Keynes squad was the way Isack Hadjar raised his level and capitalised when the opportunity presented itself.
Oscar Piastri’s mistake eventually opened the way to third place, but it came while Isack Hadjar was applying pressure to the Australian.
“On his comeback weekend, he raised the bar once again. We very often tell ourselves that we saw him add something to his skill set every time he got into the car during the first part of the season, and he is continuing to do that,” Laurent Mekies explained.
Red Bull impressed by Isack Hadjar’s maturity behind Max Verstappen
Beyond outright speed, another aspect particularly impressed Laurent Mekies: the way Isack Hadjar managed the opening stint while racing behind Max Verstappen.
Red Bull had asked the young French driver to give the position to Max Verstappen. Even when Max Verstappen later began struggling on the medium tyres, Isack Hadjar remained calm rather than immediately pushing the team to reverse the order.
The hierarchy inside Red Bull is naturally clear, but after giving up the position, Isack Hadjar might have been expected to react less calmly when Max Verstappen began encountering difficulties. There have been heated radio exchanges in the past, but this time Isack Hadjar handled the situation with maturity and without becoming anxious.
Rather than demanding the position back, Isack Hadjar waited several laps before asking whether he was free to attack. Red Bull granted permission on the condition that any move remained clean.
When asked how much faster he believed he could be in clean air, Isack Hadjar replied that he probably had a few tenths of a second more pace available, but was also happy to remain behind rather than lose time unnecessarily.
“I would also like to say that he raced extremely intelligently with Max, very disciplined with his tyres,” Laurent Mekies said. “It allowed us to play a team game between the two of them and with the pit wall. In the end, that produced the best possible result.”
Laurent Mekies highlights Isack Hadjar’s emotional control
For Laurent Mekies, the episode was evidence of development extending far beyond raw lap time.
“It shows you how intelligently this guy is racing, how much ability he is developing while he is in the car and also how much emotional control he is able to have. They are all indicators of the steps forward he has made in all these areas, as well as producing more speed.”
“It is exactly this trajectory that impresses us every day since he joined the team, and probably last year as well. That is also why we want to give him the best possible environment to continue growing, because that step forward was really impressive.”
The podium was an ideal way for Isack Hadjar to repay the confidence Red Bull has shown in him, particularly after his contract renewal for 2027 was announced during the Baku week. The result also capped an impressive return after three races on the sidelines and reinforced Red Bull’s belief that the French driver is continuing to develop both his speed and his overall race craft.
Formula 1 now moves on from Azerbaijan towards Malaysia as part of the revised 2026 Formula 1 calendar.
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