Red Bull Announces Major 2026 Driver Seats: Hadjar Steps Up, Youngster Arvid Lindblad Secures F1 Drive.
French driver Hadjar (left) started his career at the season opener currently sitting 10th in the standings. Arvid Lindblad (right) is sixth in the Formula 2 standings.
The Red Bull team has announced significant changes for the 2026 F1 campaign, elevating French driver Isack Hadjar to its A-team and giving 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad his maiden F1 drive.
Lindblad, who comes from a mixed Swedish-Indian background, is set to become team-mate to Kiwi driver Liam Lawson at the junior outfit VCARB.
This reshuffling results in Japan's Yuki Tsunoda losing his seat after five seasons.
A Star in the Making
The British teen took part in FP1 for the British and Mexico City Grands Prix this year.
Lindblad has been tagged as a potential future star by Red Bull from the age of 12 years old.
Discussing the company's young driver programme, a key advisor previously said that Lindblad "appears very talented", highlighting his "raw pace".
The team prepared a programme for some time to ready Lindblad for his likely Grand Prix bow in 2026, featuring appearances in Grand Prix practice at the British and Mexican races.
Lindblad stated it was a "proud moment", adding: "Next season represents a huge step, and I know there's much to understand, but I'm eager to collaborate with the team and step up. I am incredibly excited to get started."
He has won a couple of victories in F2 this year and is P6 in the standings heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Hadjar's Big Break
The French driver enjoys his maiden top-three finish in F1, secured at the Zandvoort race this season.
Hadjar's F1 career began in difficult fashion when he crashed during the warm-up lap of the first Australian Grand Prix. However, from that point, he has been one of the most impressive rookies this season.
He included an outstanding top-three result at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits in tenth place in the championship.
A senior team figure said: "Hadjar has shown great maturity and demonstrated to be a quick learner. Most importantly, he has the raw speed that is the number one requirement in this sport. We believe he can succeed next to Max."
The promoted driver called it "an awesome move" and said he felt "up for the challenge".
The Lawson Decision
For the seat at the junior team, Red Bull have chosen Lawson instead of Tsunoda.
Lawson began the season with the senior squad but was moved back after just two races. He has settled back in at the junior outfit with notable results, persuading Red Bull he merits more time.
The Japanese driver, in contrast, loses his place after a difficult season. His best result is a sixth place, and he has scored a minor percentage of the team's constructors' championship.
These announcements mean that there remains no spot on the Red Bull programme for Ireland's Alex Dunne, who will continue in F2 for 2026.
