Just a few days before the return of the Formula 1 from its summer break, Red Bull announced an unexpected change in its lineup for the Dutch Grand Prix. Isack Hadjar suffered a wrist injury during a gym session and will not be able to compete this weekend in Zandvoort, so the team decided to call up Liam Lawson to take his place.
The change will be temporary and will mark the return of the New Zealander to Red Bull's main team, where he will share the garage with Max Verstappen again. In this way, the 24-year-old driver will leave Racing Bulls to face a new opportunity in the main team after a season start where he managed to establish himself among the protagonists of the midfield group (9th in the Drivers' Championship with 43 points).
The return will also have a particular component due to the immediate background between both drivers. Lawson had started the 2025 season as Verstappen's teammate, but after just two Grands Prix he was relegated to Racing Bulls, while Yuki Tsunoda took his place in the main team.
Now, the move occurs in the opposite direction. Tsunoda, who was left out of the grid for 2026 and has taken on the role of reserve driver for Red Bull, will return to compete in a Grand Prix and will do so alongside debutant Arvid Lindblad in Racing Bulls.
For Hadjar, the absence comes at one of the most significant circuits of his career. Zandvoort was the scene of his only podium in Formula 1 so far, when he finished third in 2025 during his first season in the top category.
The Frenchman's absence prevents him from defending one of the best results of his career on that track, while Lawson will have the opportunity to show how much he has changed since that first experience alongside Verstappen.
When does Colapinto return to racing
After a break of almost a month, Formula 1 returns this weekend with the Dutch Grand Prix. Action at the Zandvoort circuit will kick off on Friday, August 21 with a single practice session and the Sprint qualifying, and will conclude on Sunday, August 23 with the main race.
In his only appearance in Dutch territory driving in the top category, Colapinto narrowly missed the points zone with an 11th place.
