Hadjar to Red Bull in 2026, Tsunoda Out: Lawson and Lindblad at Racing Bulls

Isack Hadjar Ascends to Red Bull in 2026: Tsunoda Assumes a New Role

Young driver Isack Hadjar will take Yuki Tsunoda’s place at Red Bull starting from the 2026 Formula 1 season. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson will continue competing for the junior team Racing Bulls, along with the promising Arvid Lindblad. Hadjar’s outstanding first season at Racing Bulls, including a podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, has earned him a spot as Max Verstappen’s teammate. Tsunoda will take on the role of test and reserve driver at Red Bull, which will allow him to remain within the company’s structure, although without a race seat. Due to the drivers’ contracts, Tsunoda will be available to replace any of the four drivers from both teams in case they are unable to compete on a weekend. This Red Bull decision reflects great confidence in Hadjar and Lindblad, as the sport enters a new regulatory cycle with significant changes in aerodynamics and engines. Red Bull will build its own engines starting next year, after ending its successful partnership with Honda, which has been a great support for Tsunoda. Tsunoda’s links with Honda helped him replace Lawson after only two races in April, but his expected rise did not meet expectations. Like Lawson, Sergio Pérez, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly before him, Tsunoda struggled as Verstappen’s teammate. He is currently in 15th place with 33 points, before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Verstappen is still competing for the championship with McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Hadjar has had an impressive first season in Formula 1 and replaces Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull. Red Bull hopes Hadjar will meet expectations, but the company will be under scrutiny if the Frenchman follows in the footsteps of his predecessors alongside Verstappen.

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Despite the situation that many considered could end his career, Lawson has received an opportunity with another season in the junior team. Lawson will partner with the British-Swedish driver Lindblad, who turned 18 in August. Highly-rated Lindblad had a mixed season in Formula 2, where he currently holds sixth place in the championship. Sources reported that Lindblad’s promotion has been decided for months, while Hadjar’s promotion to the main team was almost certain. This created a dilemma for Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies, who replaced Christian Horner in the team in July, when considering what to do with the remaining seat in the junior team. Mekies worked with Hadjar in the first half of this year and with Tsunoda and Lawson in his previous role as head of Racing Bulls, and remains an admirer of the skills of both drivers. Red Bull and Racing Bulls have spent the last few months deciding which of the two to keep in the junior team. Red Bull was impressed with how Lawson handled the situation, and it is understood that his subsequent performance, especially in the second half of the year, greatly helped his chances of staying. There is also a strong internal feeling that Lawson has not been given all the necessary conditions to thrive due to the company’s decisions regarding his career.

Despite competing in Formula 1 for three seasons, the New Zealander has never completed a full season under normal circumstances: he was a substitute for Daniel Ricciardo’s injury in some races in 2023, before replacing the Australian in the Singapore Grand Prix the following year. He replaced Pérez at Red Bull this year, only to be hastily demoted again after two poor performances.

It is understood that Red Bull made the announcement before the final race of the year, as there was an internal effort to avoid the confusing public relations situation that followed Ricciardo’s departure last year. Ricciardo had an emotional exit in Singapore, where Red Bull and Racing Bulls essentially left his future up in the air publicly despite having already made the decision that he was out and Lawson was in after that weekend’s race.