Isack Hadjar has finally opened up about the wrist injury that sidelined him for six weeks from the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Red Bull Racing driver broke a bone in his wrist while training during the summer break, just before the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. As a result, he missed the race and forced both Red Bull and Racing Bulls to reshuffle their driver line-ups.
His return was a major talking point, as he also skipped the next two rounds on the advice of MotoGP star Marc Marquez, who is no stranger to injuries and recovery with steel pins. Speculation about how the injury occurred ran wild until it was revealed that he did it while boxing. Hadjar himself only confirmed this after finishing on the podium in Baku last weekend.
“It's been a moment now,” Hadjar said in the post-race press conference. “I felt like I had a whole winter break, which is not really what you want in the middle of the season. So, yeah, I definitely missed it. The adrenaline, those Q3 laps, the restart, and fighting with the other drivers. It's what I love to do. So hopefully I use a bit more my brain when I go boxing next time.”
Previously, Hadjar had avoided the subject. When asked if the team had banned him from boxing, he simply said: “Next time I'll be more careful.” Neither Hadjar nor Red Bull had revealed details of the injury, prompting a host of reports offering speculation. On Wednesday in Baku, Hadjar described it as “a small fracture on the outside of the wrist, and it's quite a long process.” This is inconsistent with widespread claims that he had a fractured scaphoid, which is on the inside of the wrist, behind the thumb.
Wrist injuries tend to take longer to heal because the area is in constant use, putting stress on the carpal bones even when not engaged in vigorous activity. This disrupts the healing process and can even prevent fractures from knitting back together properly – hence the recommendation for athletes to abstain from training during recovery. The usual timeline is for the wrist to be in a splint for six weeks, so Hadjar returned at the earliest realistic opportunity. He is likely to feel discomfort for several weeks.
Hadjar's return in Baku was met with positive reception. He immediately impressed with a podium finish, proving that his absence had not diminished his speed. “The one detail that impresses Red Bull most about Hadjar's return is his ability to adapt quickly to race pressure,” wrote Motorsport.com. Now, he will focus on the rest of the season and help Red Bull in their title fight.
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