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Isack Hadjar finished third on his return from injury in Azerbaijan, but his response to a team radio call particularly impressed Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies.
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Hadjar had missed three race weekends with a wrist injury. He qualified fourth in Baku and finished third, taking his second podium of the 2026 season. Mekies said Hadjar had returned without wrist pain and showed race pace on both medium and soft tyres that Red Bull had not previously seen from him. [1]
During the first stint, Red Bull asked Hadjar to yield position to Max Verstappen. Asked how much faster he could go in clear air, Hadjar estimated two or three tenths of a second but said he was happy where he was, Autosport reported. When Autosport asked Mekies about the exchange after the race, the team principal said it showed Hadjar was racing intelligently and managing his emotions in the car. [1]
Mekies also praised Hadjar’s tyre discipline and his cooperation with Verstappen and the pit wall. For the Red Bull boss, the podium reflected not just Hadjar’s pace after three weekends away, but the judgement he showed during the race. [1]
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