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F1

Red Bull to assess Isack Hadjar before Azerbaijan Grand Prix call

Laurent Mekies says the team will not rush the driver back, with evaluations planned before his participation is decided.

By Sportsback
Red Bull racing, Hangar 7, Salzburg ( Ank Kumar)Ank Kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0

Red Bull will decide whether Isack Hadjar races at next week's Azerbaijan Grand Prix only after further evaluation of his recovery, team principal Laurent Mekies has said. The team's stated priority is the driver's recovery rather than the speed of his return.

Red Bull's update described the recovery in positive terms, with the message that there is nothing wrong with it. Read plainly, that speaks to the condition of the recovery rather than to a timetable: no setback has been flagged, and no date for a return has been offered either.

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What Red Bull have said

Red Bull Racing , Noida F1 2013Ank kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0
Red Bull Racing , Noida F1 2013

Mekies set out the position in terms that leave the decision open. Evaluations are planned before Red Bull make a call on whether Hadjar takes part in Azerbaijan, and the team will not hurry him back into the car. The sequence is fitness assessment first, racing decision second.

That is a deliberately narrow commitment. Red Bull have confirmed the order in which the decision will be taken without indicating which way it is likely to fall.

The trade-off Red Bull are weighing

Alexander Albon Istanbul 202007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Alexander Albon Istanbul 2020

A driver's availability shapes a race weekend well before the cars run. If Hadjar is passed fit, the team build their preparations around him; if he is not, they must plan without him. Red Bull's emphasis on recovery over haste indicates they are prepared to accept the second outcome if the assessment does not support the first.

The counter-argument is a familiar one in sport: a driver brought back before he is ready risks a longer absence, which costs a team more than missing a single round. Mekies has framed the coming days as a choice between those two risks.

What is not yet known

Red Bull have not said what the injury is, when it was sustained, or how long Hadjar is expected to be unavailable. No date has been given for the evaluation that will precede the Azerbaijan decision, and the team have not said how the seat would be filled if he is ruled out.

It is also unclear what a positive evaluation would have to show. Red Bull have described their criteria only as recovery, without setting out the thresholds a driver must meet to return.

What happens next

The next step is the evaluation Mekies has outlined. Once it is complete, Red Bull will either name Hadjar for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix or plan around his absence. Until that call is made, his participation in the race remains open.

Frequently asked questions

Will Isack Hadjar race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
No decision has been made. Red Bull plan further evaluations of his recovery before deciding whether he takes part in the race.
What has Laurent Mekies said about Isack Hadjar's recovery?
The Red Bull team principal said the team will prioritise the driver's recovery over rushing his return, and described the recovery itself as being in good order.
What injury does Isack Hadjar have?
Red Bull's update did not specify the nature of the injury or when it was sustained. The team have discussed only the recovery and the process for deciding on his return.
When will Isack Hadjar return to racing?
No date has been set. Red Bull have said only that evaluations will come before a decision on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

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