Liam Lawson will race for Oracle Red Bull Racing at the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend, stepping in as a temporary replacement for Isack Hadjar. This marks Lawson’s third appearance for the senior Red Bull team. The New Zealander’s call-up follows an injury sustained by Hadjar, who will not compete at the Circuit Zandvoort event.
Hadjar, a full-time Oracle Red Bull Racing driver for the 2026 season, sustained a minor wrist fracture while boxing during the recent F1 summer break. He is expected to recover in time to participate in the Italian Grand Prix on September 6. Hadjar became aware of the sensitivity the morning after his training session.
Lawson is currently a full-time driver for Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, where he is partnered with rookie Arvid Lindblad. He sits ninth in the 2026 drivers’ standings with 43 points, having secured eight point-scoring finishes in the opening 11 rounds of the season.
Lawson previously had a brief two-race stint with Red Bull Racing at the beginning of the 2025 season. He was brought in to replace Sergio Pérez but was subsequently demoted to Racing Bulls and replaced by Yuki Tsunoda at the senior team.
During that period, Lawson and Max Verstappen established a mutual respect. Lawson has consistently praised Verstappen’s ‘real’ and supportive nature, particularly during his initial reserve role and his 2025 Red Bull stint. Verstappen reportedly disagreed with the decision to demote Lawson in 2025, having expressed a desire for Lawson to be given more time. Christian Horner, who was Team Principal at the time, and Helmut Marko, then Motorsport Advisor, reportedly proceeded against Verstappen’s wishes. Both Horner and Marko have since departed their roles at Red Bull Racing.
“In general, Max was just always very real, like he’s somebody that at such a high-level, accomplished position that he’s in, it’d be very easy for him to not be like that. And it’s not just with me; he seems to be like that with everybody.”
Lawson further noted Verstappen’s efforts to acknowledge him, even when Lawson was a reserve driver competing in Formula 2. Verstappen would inquire about his F2 progress, asking about the car and overall feeling. Verstappen also provided significant support to Lawson during his demotion from Red Bull Racing, engaging in discussions with him about the situation.
With Lawson moving to Red Bull Racing for the Dutch Grand Prix, his vacant seat at Racing Bulls will be filled by Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda, who was replaced by Hadjar at Red Bull Racing for the 2026 season, now serves as the official test and reserve driver for both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.
Lawson has acknowledged that driving the Red Bull RB22 will feel “very foreign” after spending the entire 2026 season in a Racing Bulls car. He expressed disappointment after failing to make the second part of sprint qualifying at Zandvoort, despite showing strong initial pace in the session.
The Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort is Max Verstappen’s home race, providing a high-profile platform for Lawson’s temporary return to the senior team.
