Experience persuaded the young Formula One driver that missing races is safer than risking an entire career.
MONZA, ITALY
Isack Hadjar will miss the Italian Grand Prix while continuing to recover from a wrist injury sustained during training before the Dutch Grand Prix. Red Bull has chosen not to accelerate his return, leaving Liam Lawson to substitute for him for a second consecutive race alongside Max Verstappen.
Hadjar initially hoped to compete at Zandvoort and later targeted Monza for his comeback. The French driver said the swelling had disappeared and his mobility was improving, but medical evaluation indicated that his wrist was not yet ready for the physical demands of a Formula One car.
One of the most influential voices in his decision was MotoGP champion Marc Márquez. The two athletes share physiotherapist Carlos J. García, allowing Hadjar to contact the Spanish rider for advice. Márquez acknowledged that he is not a doctor but explained that competitors often struggle to accept missing an event when they believe they might still be physically capable of participating.
Márquez drew on his own difficult experience after fracturing his right arm at Jerez in 2020. His premature attempt to return aggravated the injury and began a prolonged sequence of operations and interrupted seasons. He therefore warned Hadjar that missing one race would not transform his career, while worsening an injury by returning too soon potentially could.
Hadjar’s absence also creates another opportunity for Lawson, who finished seventh in the Netherlands, while reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda continues at Racing Bulls. The substitutions may influence Red Bull’s future evaluations, but Hadjar’s health remains the priority. His situation illustrates a lesson often resisted in elite sport: courage is not always demonstrated by competing through pain, and patience can be as decisive as speed.
Lo visible y lo oculto, en contexto. / The visible and the hidden, in context.