Red Bull Reveals Substantial 2026 Driver Line-Up: Hadjar Promoted, Youngster Arvid Lindblad Secures Grand Prix Debut.
French driver Hadjar (left) made his debut in Australia currently sitting tenth in the standings. Arvid Lindblad (right) is sixth in the F2 championship.
Red Bull has confirmed a major reshuffle for the 2026 Grand Prix year, promoting French driver Isack Hadjar to its main squad and awarding British teenager Arvid Lindblad his debut F1 drive.
The young driver, who has a Swedish father and a mother of Indian descent, will be the partner of New Zealander Liam Lawson at the junior outfit VCARB.
These changes means Japan's Yuki Tsunoda being without a drive following a five-year stint.
A Star in the Making
The British teen participated in FP1 for the Silverstone and Mexican Grands Prix this year.
Lindblad has been marked out as a potential future star by Red Bull from the age of 12 years old.
Regarding the company's young driver programme, a key advisor previously said that Lindblad "looks really promising", praising his "raw pace".
Red Bull has been working since last year to prepare Lindblad for his likely F1 debut in 2026, including appearances in F1 practice sessions at Silverstone and Mexico City.
Lindblad stated it was a "dream come true", commenting: "2026 will be a massive test, and I know there's a lot to learn, but I'm ready to collaborate with the team and step up. I am incredibly excited to get started."
He has won two races in F2 so far this season and is P6 in the championship ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Hadjar's Big Break
The French driver enjoys his first podium in F1, secured at the Zandvoort race in August.
The Frenchman's debut season began in difficult fashion when he crashed on the formation lap of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. However, from that point, he has been one of the most impressive newcomers of the year.
He featured an outstanding top-three result at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits 10th 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 innate pace that is the number one requirement in this sport. We believe he can thrive alongside Max."
Hadjar described it "a fantastic step" and said he felt "prepared".
Tsunoda's Exit
To partner Lindblad at the junior team, Red Bull have opted for Lawson instead of Tsunoda.
Lawson started 2025 with the main team but was demoted after just two races. However, he has settled back in at Racing Bulls with some strong performances, persuading Red Bull he deserves more time.
Tsunoda, in contrast, has been ejected after a difficult season. His highest finish is a P6, and he has accumulated a small fraction of the team's points total.
The driver market moves confirm that there is also no spot on the Red Bull programme for Ireland's Alex Dunne, who will remain in F2 next season.
