Red Bull Reveals Substantial 2026 Driver Line-Up: Hadjar Steps Up, 18-Year-Old Lindblad Secures F1 Drive.
Isack Hadjar (left) made his debut in Australia and is tenth in the championship. Arvid Lindblad (right) holds sixth place in the Formula 2 championship.
The Austrian squad has revealed a major reshuffle for the 2026 F1 campaign, promoting Frenchman Isack Hadjar to its A-team and handing British teenager Arvid Lindblad his maiden Formula 1 seat.
The young driver, who is of Swedish and Indian heritage, is set to become the partner of Kiwi driver Liam Lawson at the second team VCARB.
This reshuffling means Japan's Yuki Tsunoda exiting the grid after five seasons.
A Star in the Making
Arvid Lindblad participated in first practice for the Silverstone and Mexican Grands Prix in the current season.
The youngster was identified as a potential future star 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", highlighting his "raw pace".
The team has had a plan since last year to ready Lindblad for his likely F1 debut in 2026, including runs in Grand Prix practice at Silverstone and Mexico City.
Lindblad stated it was a "dream come true", adding: "2026 will be a big challenge, and I know there's much to understand, but I'm prepared to collaborate with the team and meet the challenge. I am incredibly excited to get started."
Lindblad has taken two races in F2 this year and is sixth in the championship heading into the final round in Abu Dhabi.
A Major Opportunity for Hadjar
Isack Hadjar enjoys his maiden top-three finish in F1, achieved at the Zandvoort race in August.
Hadjar's F1 career began in difficult fashion when he crashed during the warm-up lap of the first Australian Grand Prix. However, since then, he has emerged as one of the most impressive newcomers this season.
His performances included an excellent podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits in tenth place in the championship.
The team principal commented: "Isack has shown great maturity and demonstrated to be a quick learner. Most importantly, he has the innate pace that is the number one requirement in this sport. We believe he can thrive alongside Max."
The promoted driver called it "an incredible opportunity" and said he felt "ready".
Tsunoda's Exit
For the seat at the junior team, Red Bull have opted for Lawson over Tsunoda.
Lawson began the season with the senior squad but was moved back after just two races. However, he has settled back in at the junior outfit with some strong performances, convincing Red Bull he merits another season.
The Japanese driver, meanwhile, has been ejected after a difficult season. His best result is a P6, and he has scored a small fraction of the team's points total.
The driver market moves mean that there remains no place on the Red Bull academy for Irish driver Alex Dunne, who will remain in F2 for 2026.
