The Frenchman missed the last three races through injury

Isack Hadjar cannot wait to get back behind the wheel again at Red Bull Racing after missing the last three Grand Prix.

The Frenchman will return to the cockpit this weekend for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with stand-in Liam Lawson returning to Racing Bulls after some decent performances for the Tilbrook team.

Hadjar, 21, had been ruled out of races in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain with a wrist injury, though remained in the paddock, watching on with his team. For this weekend’s race in Baku though, he will be back behind the wheel.

“I'm just so excited to get back into my car,” he said. “The last month has been tricky for me. It's the first time in my life that I've not been racing and that's a weird feeling to get used to.

“As soon as I suffered the injury, I've been fully focussed on my recovery so I can get back as quickly as possible. I want to thank Laurent (Mekies, team boss) and the team for their patience throughout this process. It was important not to rush the decision and now I feel ready to get back to what I do best - driving.

“Baku is a unique circuit and one you need to be locked in for from the very start of the weekend. Although it's been quite a break since I was last in the car, our simulator session was positive and I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running.”

Due to a national holiday in Azerbaijan, the race weekend will be shifted one day earlier, with free practice starting on Thursday, qualifying on Friday and the Grand Prix on Saturday.

Max Verstappen will be eager to make it three podiums in a row after finishing third in Italy and second last time out in Spain.

He said: “Madrid was a good result for us and the team has been working hard on taking this positive momentum to make sure we maximise the performance of the car in Baku.

“The track is a mix of long straights, so you need good efficiency but also enough downforce to go through the tight corners, especially in the second sector. It is a challenging, technical street circuit, but is exciting to drive.

“We've made some good steps with the car over the last few races and we have some good memories here.

“It is also great that Isack has recovered from his injury and that he will be back in the car for this race.”