Red Bull Confirms Substantial 2026 Driver Line-Up: Hadjar Steps Up, Teenager Arvid Lindblad Gets F1 Drive.
French driver Hadjar (left) made his debut at the season opener and is 10th in the championship. Arvid Lindblad (right) holds sixth place in the Formula 2 championship.
Red Bull has announced a new line-up for the 2026 F1 campaign, promoting Frenchman Isack Hadjar to its senior team and handing 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad his debut Formula 1 seat.
Lindblad, who has a Swedish father and a mother of Indian descent, is set to become team-mate to Kiwi driver Liam Lawson at the junior outfit Racing Bulls.
This reshuffling means Japan's Yuki Tsunoda losing his seat post a half-decade in F1.
Who is Arvid Lindblad?
The British teen drove first practice for the British and Mexico City Grands Prix in the current season.
The youngster was tagged as a potential future star by Red Bull from the age of 12 years old.
Regarding the team's young driver programme, a senior Red Bull figure previously said that Lindblad "appears very talented", commending his "pure speed".
Red Bull prepared a programme for some time to ready Lindblad for his potential Grand Prix bow in 2026, featuring runs in Grand Prix practice at Silverstone and Mexico City.
Lindblad stated it was a "huge honour", adding: "Next season represents a big challenge, and I know there's a lot to learn, but I'm prepared to work closely with the team and step up. I am incredibly excited to get started."
Lindblad has taken a couple of victories in F2 so far this season and is P6 in the standings heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The Frenchman's Chance
The French driver enjoys his maiden top-three finish in F1, achieved at the Zandvoort race this season.
The Frenchman's debut season began in difficult fashion when he crashed on the formation lap of the first Australian Grand Prix. But, from that point, he has emerged as one of the most impressive rookies this season.
He featured an remarkable podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits 10th in the championship.
The team principal said: "Isack has shown impressive growth and proved to be a fast adapter. Crucially, he has the raw speed that is the primary necessity in this sport. We believe he can excel next to Max."
The promoted driver called it "an awesome move" and said he felt "prepared".
Lawson Retains His Seat
For the seat at Racing Bulls, Red Bull have preferred Lawson over Tsunoda.
Lawson began the season with the senior squad but was demoted early in the year. He has found his form at the junior outfit with notable results, persuading Red Bull he merits another season.
Tsunoda, meanwhile, 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.
The driver market moves mean that there is also no place on the Red Bull programme for Ireland's Alex Dunne, who will continue in F2 for 2026.
