Isack Hadjar says his fractured wrist will remain painful for a while as he returns to Red Bull.

Isack Hadjar will return for Red Bull at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix despite continuing pain from his fractured wrist. He has been cleared to compete after missing three consecutive races in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. The 21-year-old French-Algerian driver reportedly injured his wrist while hitting a punchbag during training over the summer break and underwent simulator testing at Red Bull's facilities before receiving medical clearance.

Hadjar acknowledged that the healing process remains ongoing and expects discomfort to persist. He described having a small fracture outside of the wrist that requires natural healing without surgical intervention and was seen wearing a wrist guard during Wednesday's official press conference. The injury will mark nearly six weeks of recovery time by the weekend.

During his recovery period, Hadjar sought advice from MotoGP champion Marc Marquez, who has extensive experience with arm injuries. His return coincides with Red Bull's announcement of his contract extension through the 2027 season as teammate to Max Verstappen. Currently sitting eighth in the drivers' championship with 71 points, Hadjar joined Red Bull at the start of the 2026 season as replacement for Yuki Tsunoda.