Red Bull to keep Dutch GP driver line-up for Monza with Hadjar still injured

Red Bull has confirmed Liam Lawson will partner Max Verstappen at Formula 1's Italian Grand Prix as Hadjar continues his recovery

Isack Hadjar will sit out this weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza as he recovers from a wrist injury he sustained during Formula 1's summer break. As a result, Liam Lawson will once again replace him at Red Bull and Yuki Tsunoda slots back into the Racing Bulls car.

Hadjar sustained a wrist fracturing during a boxing session during the summer break, forcing him to watch the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort from the sidelines on 21-23 August. Racing Bulls regular Lawson deputised for the Frenchman in the Red Bull RB22, with reserve driver Tsunoda being recalled to run Lawson's vacant VCARB 03 alongside rookie Arvid Lindblad.

Red Bull had been hopeful Hadjar would be ready for a return to competition at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, but also didn't want the 22-year-old to take any undue risk as he recovers from his injury.

Yuki Tsunoda, Racing Bulls

Photo by: Eric Le Galliot

Both Red Bull-owned teams have now confirmed they will field unchanged driver line-ups in Monza.

"Liam will drive alongside Max at the Italian GP in Monza, while Isack continues to make encouraging progress," a Red Bull statement read. "The team is closely monitoring his rehabilitation and will take no unnecessary risks with his return to competition and wishes him a speedy recovery."

Both Lawson and Tsunoda impressed on their stand-in roles in the Netherlands, with Lawson guiding his Red Bull to seventh from eighth on the grid. Tsunoda just missed out on points in 11th, with both drivers sticking close to their respective team-mates on one-lap pace.

Meanwhile, the team's other reserve driver Ayumu Iwasa will replace Verstappen for opening practice, fulfilling one of the team's four mandated rookie sessions this season.