Red Bull Reveals Major 2026 Driver Line-Up: Hadjar Steps Up, Teenager Arvid Lindblad Secures Grand Prix Debut.
French driver Hadjar (left) started his career in Australia currently sitting tenth in the standings. British teen Lindblad (right) holds sixth place in the F2 championship.
The Red Bull team has revealed significant changes for the 2026 F1 campaign, moving up Frenchman Isack Hadjar to its senior team and handing British teenager Arvid Lindblad his first Formula 1 seat.
The young driver, who is of Swedish and Indian heritage, is set to become the partner of New Zealander Liam Lawson at the second team Racing Bulls.
This driver musical chairs means Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda being without a drive post a half-decade in F1.
Who is Arvid Lindblad?
The British teen participated in FP1 for the Silverstone and Mexican Grands Prix in the current season.
The youngster was identified as a potential future star by Red Bull from the age of 12 years old.
Talking about the company's young driver programme, a senior Red Bull figure noted last year that Lindblad "looks really promising", highlighting his "raw pace".
Red Bull has had a plan since last year to ready Lindblad for his likely Grand Prix bow in 2026, featuring appearances in Grand Prix practice at the British and Mexican races.
The rookie said it was a "dream come true", commenting: "2026 will be a huge step, and I know there's much to understand, but I'm ready to collaborate with the team and meet the challenge. 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.
The Frenchman's Chance
Isack Hadjar celebrates his maiden top-three finish in F1, secured at the Zandvoort race in August.
The Frenchman's debut season began in difficult fashion when he spun out during the warm-up lap of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. But, from that point, he has been one of the most impressive newcomers this season.
He featured an excellent top-three result at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits in tenth place in the championship.
The team principal said: "Hadjar has displayed impressive growth and demonstrated to be a quick learner. Crucially, he has the innate pace 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 "ready".
Tsunoda's Exit
For the seat at the junior team, Red Bull have preferred Lawson instead of Tsunoda.
Lawson started 2025 with the senior squad but was demoted after just two races. He has found his form at Racing Bulls with notable results, convincing Red Bull he merits another season.
The Japanese driver, meanwhile, loses his place 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 is also no place on the Red Bull programme for Irish driver Alex Dunne, who will continue in F2 for 2026.
