Red Bull Announces Major 2026 Driver Line-Up: Hadjar Steps Up, Youngster Lindblad Secures F1 Drive.
French driver Hadjar (left) made his debut in Australia and is 10th in the championship. Arvid Lindblad (right) holds sixth place in the Formula 2 standings.
Red Bull has announced a major reshuffle for the 2026 Formula 1 season, promoting French driver Isack Hadjar to its A-team and giving British teenager Arvid Lindblad his first F1 drive.
Lindblad, who is of Swedish and Indian heritage, is set to become the partner of New Zealander Liam Lawson at the sister squad VCARB.
This driver musical chairs means Japan's Yuki Tsunoda exiting the grid post a half-decade in F1.
Who is Arvid Lindblad?
Arvid Lindblad participated in FP1 for the Silverstone and Mexican Grands Prix this year.
Lindblad has been 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", praising his "pure speed".
The team prepared a programme for some time to ready Lindblad for his likely F1 debut in 2026, including runs in Grand Prix practice at Silverstone and Mexico City.
The rookie said it was a "proud moment", adding: "2026 will be a huge step, and I know there's a lot to learn, but I'm eager to collaborate with the team and meet the challenge. 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 final round in Abu Dhabi.
Hadjar's Big Break
The French driver enjoys his first podium in F1, achieved at the Zandvoort race this season.
Hadjar's F1 career started 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 rookies of the year.
His performances featured an excellent podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits in tenth place in the championship.
The team principal commented: "Isack has displayed 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 next to Max."
The promoted driver called it "an awesome move" and said he felt "ready".
Lawson Retains His Seat
To partner Lindblad at Racing Bulls, Red Bull have preferred Lawson over Tsunoda.
Lawson began the season with the main team but was demoted after just two races. He has settled back in at the junior outfit with notable results, convincing Red Bull he merits more time.
Tsunoda, meanwhile, loses his place after a difficult season. His highest finish is a sixth place, and he has scored a small fraction of the team's points total.
These announcements mean that there remains no spot on the Red Bull programme for Ireland's Alex Dunne, who will continue in F2 for 2026.
