Isack Hadjar will race for Oracle Red Bull Racing at the Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix after recovering from the wrist injury that kept him out of the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix, the team said Tuesday (Reuters; Formula1.com; Sky Sports F1). He slots back in beside Max Verstappen; practice opens Thursday, 24 September at the Baku City Circuit. Soft: no race winner invented — the lights have not gone out.
Liam Lawson, who covered the three races for Red Bull and scored points in two of them, returns to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. Yuki Tsunoda steps back to reserve duty after filling Lawson’s Racing Bulls seat beside Arvid Lindblad (Red Bull statement; Reuters; RacingNews365). Hadjar had not raced since the Hungarian Grand Prix in July; the injury came in summer fitness training during the August break (Formula1.com; Sky Sports F1). Soft: championship points tallies and practice hierarchies wait for Thursday’s sheets.
The Baku race itself runs Saturday, 26 September at 15:00 local (51 laps) — moved off Sunday to avoid Azerbaijan Remembrance Day on 27 September (Formula1.com; FIA/F1). The weekend timetable on the Formula1.com Azerbaijan 2026 card runs FP1 and FP2 on Thursday, 24 September, FP3 and qualifying on Friday, 25 September, and the Grand Prix on Saturday. Soft: support-series and media-day clocks beyond that F1 session skeleton are not on this page. Soft / Held: Imola as 2026 finale remains Soft/Held without named FIA/F1 confirmation and is not printed as fact.
Named actors and checkable milestones locked to Red Bull’s Tuesday statement, Reuters, Formula1.com, and Sky Sports F1: Hadjar (return after wrist injury; missed Dutch, Italian, Spanish GPs; last raced Hungary in July; injury in summer training; practice Thu 24 Sep beside Verstappen); Lawson (three-race Red Bull cover; points in two; returns to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls); Tsunoda (reserve after Racing Bulls cover beside Lindblad); Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix; Baku City Circuit; Saturday 26 September, 15:00 local, 51 laps; Remembrance Day move off Sunday 27 September. Soft FLAGs hold: Imola Soft/Held; no race winner invented. The desk does not invent championship projections, weather calls, or support-series results beyond the published timetable and return lines.
The checkable record is Hadjar’s confirmed return to Red Bull for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after missing the Dutch, Italian and Spanish rounds with a wrist injury sustained in summer training, Lawson’s return to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls after scoring points in two of three Red Bull starts, Tsunoda’s step back to reserve after covering Lawson’s Racing Bulls seat beside Lindblad, practice opening Thursday 24 September beside Verstappen, and a Saturday 26 September Grand Prix at 15:00 local over 51 laps of the Baku City Circuit moved off Sunday 27 September for Remembrance Day (Red Bull; Reuters; Formula1.com; Sky Sports F1).
What comes next is checkable: Thursday’s FP1 and FP2 classification sheets on Formula1.com; Friday’s FP3 and qualifying results; Saturday’s race classification after the 51-lap Grand Prix; Racing Bulls’ published Baku entry with Lawson and Lindblad; Imola Soft/Held remains Held until named confirmation.
Floor: Hadjar returns Red Bull Azerbaijan GP after wrist injury (missed Dutch/Italian/Spanish; last raced Hungary Jul; summer training); Lawson → VCARB (points in 2 of 3); Tsunoda reserve after Lindblad cover; practice Thu 24; race Sat 26 Sep 15:00 local 51 laps (Remembrance Day move off Sun 27) (Red Bull; Reuters; F1.com; Sky); soft: Imola Held; no race winner.