Red Bull Reveals Significant 2026 Driver Seats: Hadjar Promoted, 18-Year-Old Lindblad Gets F1 Drive.
French driver Hadjar (left) started his career in Australia and is tenth in the championship. British teen Lindblad (right) holds sixth place in the Formula 2 championship.
Red Bull has revealed significant changes for the 2026 F1 campaign, promoting French driver Isack Hadjar to its A-team and awarding British teenager Arvid Lindblad his maiden F1 drive.
The young driver, who comes from a mixed Swedish-Indian background, will be team-mate to Kiwi driver Liam Lawson at the sister squad VCARB.
This reshuffling sees Japan's Yuki Tsunoda exiting the grid after five seasons.
The New British Hope
The British teen drove first practice for the British and Mexico City Grands Prix this year.
Lindblad has been marked out as a prodigy by Red Bull from the age of 12 years old.
Talking about the team's junior academy, a senior Red Bull figure noted last year that Lindblad "looks really promising", praising his "pure speed".
Red Bull has been working for some time to prepare Lindblad for his potential F1 debut in 2026, including appearances in F1 practice sessions at the British and Mexican races.
Lindblad stated it was a "huge honour", commenting: "2026 will be a big challenge, and I know there's much to understand, but I'm ready to collaborate with the team and meet the challenge. I am incredibly excited to get started."
Lindblad has taken two races in F2 so far this season and is sixth in the championship ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
A Major Opportunity for Hadjar
Isack Hadjar celebrates his maiden top-three finish in F1, achieved at the Zandvoort race this season.
The Frenchman's debut season started in difficult fashion when he spun out on the formation lap of the first Australian Grand Prix. But, from that point, he has been one of the stand-out rookies of the year.
His performances featured an excellent podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he lies in tenth place in the drivers' standings.
The team principal commented: "Isack has shown great maturity and proved to be a fast adapter. Most importantly, he has the raw speed that is the number one requirement in this sport. We believe he can thrive alongside Max."
Hadjar described it "an awesome move" and said he felt "ready".
Lawson Retains His Seat
To partner Lindblad at Racing Bulls, Red Bull have preferred Lawson instead of Tsunoda.
The New Zealander began the season with the senior squad but was demoted early in the year. He has settled back in at Racing Bulls with notable results, convincing Red Bull he deserves more time.
Tsunoda, meanwhile, has been ejected after a difficult season. His best result is a sixth place, and he has accumulated a minor percentage of the team's constructors' championship.
The driver market moves mean that there remains no spot on the Red Bull programme for Ireland's Alex Dunne, who will continue in F2 next season.
