Red Bull is shaking up its Formula 1 lineup in a big way for 2026, promoting rising French talent Isack Hadjar to the senior team and handing 18-year-old British prospect Arvid Lindblad his F1 debut with the Racing Bulls outfit. It's a bold move that signals both a commitment to youth and a clear direction for the future of the Red Bull driver pipeline.
Hadjar Joins Verstappen at Red Bull
Let’s start with Hadjar. The 21-year-old Frenchman is making the leap to the big stage, stepping into one of the most scrutinized roles in motorsport - Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull.
That’s no small task. Since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure at the end of 2018, Verstappen has consistently outclassed everyone who’s lined up beside him.
But Red Bull clearly believes Hadjar has the right mix of speed, maturity, and resilience to rise to the occasion.
And there’s evidence to back that up. After a rocky F1 debut - spinning out on the formation lap in wet conditions in Australia and breaking down in tears - Hadjar has bounced back in a big way.
He’s been one of the season’s standout rookies, regularly outperforming teammate Liam Lawson in qualifying with a 22-5 head-to-head advantage and an average edge of 0.186 seconds. He’s also sitting 10th in the drivers’ standings heading into the final race, an impressive showing for a first-year driver.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies praised Hadjar’s development, calling him a “quick learner” with “raw speed” - the kind of compliment that carries weight in a paddock where performance is everything. Hadjar himself called the promotion “an awesome move” and says he’s ready for the challenge.
But make no mistake, going toe-to-toe with Verstappen is the ultimate test. The Dutchman has seven wins this season and remains in the thick of the title fight with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri heading into Abu Dhabi. For Hadjar, 2026 will be all about proving he can hold his own in that elite company.
Lindblad’s Big Step
Over at Red Bull’s junior team, Racing Bulls, Arvid Lindblad will step into the spotlight. At just 18, Lindblad is the youngest addition to the 2026 grid and becomes the sixth driver with British nationality set to race next season. He’ll partner Liam Lawson, who retains his seat after a solid campaign.
Lindblad’s rise has been a long time in the making. Red Bull identified him as a future star when he was just 12 years old.
Since then, he’s steadily climbed the ranks, and 2025 has been a breakout year. He’s won two races in Formula 2 and currently sits sixth in the standings heading into the final round in Abu Dhabi.
He’s also logged F1 practice sessions at Silverstone and Mexico City, part of a carefully planned path to secure the necessary superlicence points for 2026.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, has been a vocal supporter of Lindblad’s potential. He pointed to a standout Formula 3 drive at Silverstone in 2024 - where Lindblad came from last to first in mixed conditions - as a defining moment. Marko also recalled meeting Lindblad as a 12-year-old in Portimao, noting that even then, the young Brit had a clear vision and maturity beyond his years.
Lindblad, who was born and raised in Surrey and is managed by Formula E world champion Oliver Rowland, called his promotion a “proud moment.” He acknowledged the challenge ahead but said he’s ready to work closely with the team and embrace the opportunity.
Lawson Retained, Tsunoda Out
The other major headline in Red Bull’s 2026 driver shuffle is the departure of Yuki Tsunoda. After five seasons in F1, the Japanese driver is out of a race seat.
He had long hoped for a shot at Red Bull’s main team, but the numbers didn’t support his case. In 2025, he’s scored just 7% of the team’s constructors’ points and has only one standout finish - sixth in Azerbaijan.
He’s also been significantly off Verstappen’s pace, with an average qualifying gap of 0.644 seconds, the widest margin between teammates on the grid.
Tsunoda did manage to out-qualify Verstappen once, in the Qatar sprint, but that wasn’t enough to keep him in the fold. Red Bull has opted to stick with Lawson at Racing Bulls, a decision that reflects the New Zealander’s steady form since returning to the junior team.
After a tough start to the year - beginning 2025 at Red Bull before being swapped out after just two races - Lawson has regained his footing. A fifth-place finish in Baku and sixth in Austria helped cement his place for 2026.
Lawson will enter his second full season next year, having now made 34 career starts. While he’s not viewed as a title contender just yet, Red Bull clearly sees him as a valuable asset in their development ecosystem.
No Room for Alex Dunne
One name that won’t be part of the Red Bull picture in 2026 is Ireland’s Alex Dunne. The 20-year-old had been on Red Bull’s radar after splitting with McLaren earlier this year, and while Marko was reportedly interested, the team ultimately decided against adding him to their driver program. Dunne will stay in Formula 2 with Rodin and is currently in talks with Alpine about joining their development ranks.
Looking Ahead
With Hadjar stepping up, Lindblad entering the sport, and Lawson securing another year, Red Bull’s 2026 lineup reflects a clear investment in youth - but also a demand for results. The bar is high, especially at the senior team, where Verstappen continues to set the standard. But there’s real potential in this next wave of talent.
Hadjar has already shown he can bounce back from adversity and deliver under pressure. Lindblad has the kind of raw pace and racing instinct that Red Bull loves to cultivate. And Lawson, with more experience under his belt, will be expected to lead at Racing Bulls.
It’s a new chapter for Red Bull - and one that could shape the next generation of F1 contenders.