Red Bull Confirms Substantial 2026 Driver Seats: Hadjar Promoted, Teenager Lindblad Earns F1 Drive.
French driver Hadjar (left) made his debut at the season opener and is 10th in the standings. British teen Lindblad (right) holds sixth place in the F2 standings.
The Red Bull team has revealed a new line-up for the 2026 F1 campaign, promoting French driver Isack Hadjar to its A-team and giving British teenager Arvid Lindblad his debut F1 drive.
The young driver, who is of Swedish and Indian heritage, is set to become the partner of Kiwi driver Liam Lawson at the junior outfit VCARB.
These changes results in Japan's Yuki Tsunoda being without a drive after five seasons.
Who is Arvid Lindblad?
Arvid Lindblad participated in FP1 for the Silverstone and Mexican Grands Prix this year.
The youngster was tagged as a prodigy by Red Bull since he was 12 years old.
Regarding the team's young driver programme, a key advisor previously said that Lindblad "looks really promising", praising his "raw pace".
The team prepared a programme for some time to ready Lindblad for his likely F1 debut in 2026, including appearances in Grand Prix practice at the British and Mexican races.
The rookie said it was a "proud moment", commenting: "Next season represents a big challenge, and I know there's much to understand, but I'm prepared to collaborate with the team and rise to it. I am incredibly excited to get started."
Lindblad has taken a couple of victories in F2 this year and is sixth in the standings heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The Frenchman's Chance
The French driver enjoys his first podium in F1, achieved at the Zandvoort race in August.
Hadjar's F1 career began on a low note when he crashed on the formation lap of the first Australian Grand Prix. However, since then, he has emerged as one of the most impressive rookies this season.
His performances included an excellent podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits 10th in the drivers' standings.
A senior team figure said: "Hadjar has displayed 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 succeed alongside Max."
Hadjar described 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 started 2025 with the senior squad but was demoted early in the year. However, he has found his form at Racing Bulls with notable results, convincing Red Bull he deserves more time.
Tsunoda, in contrast, has been ejected after a disappointing season. His best result is a sixth place, and he has accumulated a small fraction of the team's points total.
The driver market moves mean that there remains no place on the Red Bull programme for Irish driver Alex Dunne, who will remain in F2 next season.
