Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar will miss this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix due to a hand injury, with Liam Lawson drafted in as his temporary replacement.
The Frenchman reportedly broke his hand while boxing during the sport’s summer break.
While Red Bull have only officially stated he is likely to miss the race, a source close to the team has confirmed his absence to BBC Sport.
New Zealander Lawson, who typically drives for sister team Racing Bulls, will take the vacant seat in Zandvoort.
Lawson seeks redemption at Red Bull
This unexpected promotion provides the Kiwi driver with a crucial opportunity to atone for a difficult start to his 2025 campaign.
Lawson was initially slated to partner Max Verstappen for the entirety of last year but suffered a demotion after just two lacklustre appearances.
Japanese reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda will now fill Lawson’s spot at Racing Bulls for the weekend.
Tsunoda himself is seeking a return to form after being dropped from the primary squad at the conclusion of last season.
Verstappen prepares for final home race
The driver reshuffle comes during a challenging first half of the 2026 season for Red Bull’s leading outfit.
Four-time world champion Verstappen has yet to secure a race victory this year, managing only second-place finishes in Austria and Hungary.
The Dutch superstar narrowly missed out on the 2025 title, finishing just two points behind McLaren’s Lando Norris despite a remarkable 100-point comeback in the second half of the year.
This weekend carries immense emotional weight as it marks Verstappen’s final appearance at his home event.
The historic Zandvoort circuit is set to drop off the calendar next season due to mounting financial pressures on the race organisers.
A competitor has died following a two-bike crash during Tuesday’s Manx Grand Prix qualifying session at Cruickshanks on the Isle of Man.
The incident occurred on the opening lap of the evening run, prompting organisers to immediately red-flag the event at 18:50 BST.
A second rider involved in the collision suffered minor injuries and is currently receiving treatment at Noble’s Hospital.
Neither individual involved in the Ramsey accident has been publicly identified by race officials.
Multi-agency investigation launched
The road between Ramsey Bus Station and Lheaney Road remained closed for more than three hours while emergency services attended the scene.
Event organisers confirmed the tragedy with profound sadness, stating that standard operating procedures had been enacted.
“In accordance with the event’s standard operating procedures, a multi-agency investigative process is now underway.”
“Our thoughts are with the competitors, family and friends of those involved, who have asked for privacy at this time.”
Weather disruptions and earlier incidents
Tuesday’s schedule represented only the second day of track action for the mountain course event, which runs in parallel with the Classic TT.
Heavy rain showers had previously forced the complete cancellation of Monday’s planned practice sessions.
The prestigious motorsport gathering had already experienced significant disruption during Sunday’s opening runs.
That initial session was cut short following a red-flag incident involving Italian racer Salvatore Sallustro, who was taken to hospital for treatment.
Qualifying on the historic 37.7-mile circuit is scheduled to continue daily until Saturday, with racing slated to conclude on 28 August.
The Ukrainian government has formally asked motorsport’s governing body to overturn its recent decision to lift a ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors.
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) ended the prohibition on individuals from those nations last week, reversing a strict policy held since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“The minister sent a letter to the president of the FIA and the FIA World Motor Sport Council requesting that the decision concerning the aforementioned lifting of sanctions be reconsidered,” a statement from the Ukrainian automobile federation read.
Surprise and dismay in Kyiv
Multiple sources have indicated that the controversial move to ease restrictions was driven directly by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
According to domestic sporting officials, the sudden policy shift came as a complete surprise to the war-torn country.
They warned that aligning with recent International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines could severely compromise the integrity of global racing competitions.
“As a result of the full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation with the assistance of the Republic of Belarus, Ukrainian motorsport has suffered significant losses,” the federation added.
“A large number of our motorsport competitors have been killed during this war, and such circumstances simply cannot be disregarded when considering decisions of this nature.”
Sanctions and international reactions
Despite lifting the individual competitor ban, the global motorsport authority insists it will not organise any official events within the borders of the two aggressor states.
Officials stated they are continuing to monitor the ongoing conflict closely and reserve the right to update their regulatory position in the future.
Meanwhile, the head of the Russian automobile federation, Boris Romanovich Rotenberg, remains heavily sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Behind this decision is the huge diplomatic work of the RAF. We have always maintained a professional dialogue with our colleagues from the FIA, firmly defending the interests of our country,” Rotenberg said.
“Sport and culture should be outside of politics – they unite peoples. Justice has triumphed.”
Alex Albon has signed a one-year contract extension with Williams, securing his place with the Formula 1 team until the conclusion of the 2027 season.
The British-born Thai driver had a previous agreement that was scheduled to expire at the end of the 2026 campaign.
His renewed commitment arrives just as the sport returns from its summer break ahead of the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix.
Rebuilding a struggling outfit
It has been a remarkably difficult year for the Grove-based constructor following the introduction of the new technical regulations.
The 30-year-old has managed to accumulate a mere five points across the opening 11 rounds of the current calendar.
Despite the lack of recent results on the track, the driver insists his belief in the organisation remains entirely unshaken.
Since joining Atlassian Williams F1 Team in 2022, the transformation this team has made is difficult to put into words.
Alex Albon
One tough year doesn’t tell the full picture, and it only gives me more motivation to keep building and pushing together with the factory and our fans to achieve great things.
Our story is not over yet, so my full focus now is on doing whatever it takes to get us back up the grid.
Sainz future remains unclear
The 2027 calendar will mark the former Red Bull racer’s sixth consecutive season with Williams and his eighth year competing in the premier motorsport category.
He initially launched his professional career with Toro Rosso before earning a swift promotion to a senior Red Bull seat during his rookie season.
Meanwhile, the long-term future of his current team-mate Carlos Sainz remains completely shrouded in uncertainty.
The Spanish veteran possesses a deal expiring at the end of 2026 and has reportedly expressed severe doubts over continuing with the squad amid their ongoing performance deficits.
Lewis Hamilton is aiming to eradicate recent costly errors as he looks to launch a second-half title challenge for Ferrari against Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli, starting at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion currently sits second in the Drivers’ Championship as the 2026 Formula 1 season resumes.
He trails Antonelli by 50 points at the halfway stage, with a maximum of 12 races remaining to close the gap.
The Scuderia are desperate to end a 19-year wait for a drivers’ title, while also pressuring Mercedes in the constructors’ standings.
Eradicating costly mistakes
Despite regaining second place from former team-mate George Russell before the summer break, the British veteran has been frustrated by his own recent errors.
A string of uncharacteristic penalties heavily disrupted his momentum during the final European double-header.
A false start at Silverstone and a collision with Russell at Spa-Francorchamps were followed by two further infractions in Hungary.
A grid penalty for blocking Oscar Piastri cost him a crucial front-row start, before a pit-lane speeding violation further hindered his race.
Seeking second-half perfection
Finishing fifth in Budapest led the grid’s most successful driver to openly acknowledge his recent shortcomings.
Ultimately these last few races have been costly with mistakes from myself.
The former Mercedes star described his first half of the campaign, which included a maiden Ferrari victory in Spain, as merely acceptable.
I’ve really got to work hard to try to figure out how I can do better in the second half.
He also vowed to stop giving race stewards any opportunity to issue further sanctions as the championship battle intensifies.
While the Mercedes duo of Antonelli and Russell have dropped points through mechanical unreliability, the Ferrari challenger knows he must deliver a flawless run to conquer the championship leader.
Cadillac have sacked team principal Graeme Lowdon midway through their debut Formula 1 season, replacing him with former Alpine chief Marcin Budkowski.
The surprise leadership change comes during the sport’s summer break, just a week before the campaign resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
Chief executive Dan Towriss made the swift decision to remove Lowdon after just 11 races on the grid.
‘A narrow window of opportunity’
Mid-season managerial exits are relatively rare in motorsport, making the sudden departure of the British executive highly unexpected.
The American outfit had previously warned they expected to spend their inaugural campaign racing near the back of the pack.
However, Towriss revealed that while a transition was always part of the long-term plan, the timeline was significantly accelerated.
“This decision was mine. I think there’s a very narrow window of opportunity when you look at what we’re building and an opportunity to build something new and innovative,” Towriss explained.
“What I didn’t want to do was build something that’s already been done, something that’s old and then try to improve it.”
Vision and reliability in focus
Towriss dismissed suggestions that recent track performances or early teething issues were the primary catalyst for the dismissal.
Instead, the Cadillac chief pointed towards maintaining a clear vision for future progress and matching the ambitions of the General Motors ownership group.
Budkowski now takes the reins with immediate effect as the sport’s newest team prepares for the second half of the 2026 calendar.
The newly appointed Polish principal has already identified fixing ongoing car reliability problems as his most urgent task.
Carlos Sainz has reportedly rejected a £25.5m contract extension with Williams as the Spanish driver explores potential moves to rival Formula 1 teams.
The former Ferrari driver initially signed a two-year deal with the Grove-based outfit after being replaced by Lewis Hamilton ahead of the 2025 campaign.
However, a heavily compromised 2026 season has left the grand prix winner evaluating his long-term future on the grid.
Schumacher highlights Red Bull link
Former driver Ralf Schumacher has suggested the sought-after racer is keeping his options open amid a turbulent driver market.
“I’m curious about Sainz. He apparently rejected an offer from Williams,” Ralf Schumacher told Sky Germany.
“Is that related to the possibility that Max Verstappen might leave Red Bull? Or is Sainz even headed to Audi?”
Aerodynamic struggles plague Williams
Schumacher also highlighted deep-rooted issues within the current Williams setup under the new regulations.
“Things are tense at Williams. The team made a huge mistake with the car.”
The historic British team are currently languishing in ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship at the summer break.
Their FW48 challenger has suffered from excess weight and severe aerodynamic instability since its initial production.
Vowles shifts focus to future
Consequently, the Madrid-born racer sits 15th in the Drivers’ Championship with a mere six points to his name.
Team principal James Vowles is now reportedly shifting focus towards the 2027 season to rectify these fundamental design flaws.
The proposed £25.5m extension would have made the Spaniard one of the highest-paid competitors on the current grid.
Instead, he could now make a sensational switch to Red Bull, Aston Martin or Alpine for the upcoming campaign.
Cadillac have sacked team principal Graeme Lowdon and replaced him with Marcin Budkowski following a point-less start to their debut Formula 1 season.
The American outfit, who joined the grid at the start of 2026, are the only constructor yet to score in the opening 11 rounds.
Budkowski returns to the paddock for the first time since departing his role as Alpine executive director in 2022.
The 49-year-old Polish engineer will take charge of the rookie team at the Dutch Grand Prix, as the sport returns from its four-week summer break in late August.
A planned leadership transition
Despite the sudden nature of the dismissal, Cadillac chief executive Dan Towris described the managerial change as an important step in their continued evolution.
“From the beginning, our goal has not been simply to participate in Formula 1, but to build a next-generation team capable of competing at the very front.”
Dan Towris, Cadillac F1 chief executive
Towris stated that their new appointment brings exceptional technical expertise and strategic leadership to the struggling organisation.
He believes this vast experience will help develop the winning mindset and processes required for long-term success.
End of the road for Lowdon
Lowdon was originally appointed to lead the ambitious motorsport project in December 2024.
He successfully oversaw the team’s lengthy preparations and secured the experienced driver pairing of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas for their inaugural campaign.
Towris expressed gratitude to the departing boss for his leadership in building the squad from the ground up.
He credited Lowdon with establishing a strong foundation during the crucial build-up phase before wishing him well for the future.