Isack Hadjar returns in style with P3 podium at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Red Bull Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar returned from a wrist injury with what he described as his first “proper” podium earned on “pure pace,” driving to third place at the Baku City Circuit in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday. Hadjar said the result came after “a very long six weeks” on the sidelines, during which he missed events at Zandvoort, Monza and the all-new Madring track following the wrist injury picked up while training in the summer break.

Ahead of the race, Hadjar built his speed through practice, and that gradual progression carried into qualifying where he set his fastest run to qualify fourth. In the race, he then worked his way forward to claim third place, a finish he said was particularly meaningful because it was not dependent on other drivers’ misfortune. “I’m very, very happy for an actual first proper podium on pure pace,” Hadjar said after the race.

The podium was Hadjar’s third in Formula 1, but he emphasized it was the first he felt he truly earned through his own performance. He pointed out that his earlier podiums came from circumstances involving other results: a gain from Lando Norris’ retirement at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix, while representing Racing Bulls, and a gain from Pierre Gasly’s penalties in Monaco earlier this year.

Hadjar also reported that his recovering wrist held up well during the race, completing 51 laps on Saturday afternoon despite feeling “a bit numb.” With a busy final phase of the 2026 season approaching, he added that he was looking forward to getting racing again, naming Sepang as his next target.