Isack Hadjar plans to build up through the weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia in the same way he did on his return to the RB22 cockpit in Azerbaijan, after Red Bull's late-season upgrade delivered what he called a "huge step" in Baku.
The Frenchman missed three consecutive rounds, at Zandvoort, Monza and Madrid, after fracturing the outer side of his left wrist during a training session over the F1 summer break.
Rather than opting for surgery, Hadjar and Red Bull allowed the injury to heal naturally, with the team keeping him out until he was entirely free of pain.
Liam Lawson deputised for him across all three events, with Yuki Tsunoda in turn covering Lawson's seat at Racing Bulls.
Hadjar's return in Baku coincided with what Red Bull management described as the team's final major aerodynamic upgrade of the season, featuring revisions to the floor body, diffuser and sidepods.
The Milton Keynes-based squad has since redirected the bulk of its engineering resources towards its 2027 project, making the Baku package effectively the last significant update the RB22 will receive this year.
The result was a double podium in Azerbaijan, with Max Verstappen second and Hadjar third, his second podium finish of the season and the team's first result of that nature since early 2024.
'Step by step' again in Sepang
Hadjar said the outcome in Baku had exceeded expectations given the circumstances of his comeback.
"Baku was a really positive weekend for us," the three-time F1 podium finisher said ahead of the round at the Sepang International Circuit.
"Coming back after missing three races and scoring my second podium with the team was a great feeling, and having both cars on the podium was a huge step for everyone."
Hadjar is again planning for a gradual approach to the weekend, which in Baku was dictated by his lack of recent mileage after injury. In Malaysia, however, it stems from unfamiliarity with a circuit he has never raced on.
"Sepang looks like a really cool circuit, but it's my first time racing there, so the focus is just to build up through the weekend and take it step by step like we did in Baku," he added.
"The upgrades worked well there, which was positive, but Sepang has a different track layout, so we'll have to see where we stand."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on the Azerbaijan GP but also look ahead to F1's return this weekend to Malaysia! Rumours linking Christian Horner with a return to the sport is a major talking point.
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