Red Bull Reveals Major 2026 Driver Seats: Hadjar Promoted, Youngster Arvid Lindblad Secures Grand Prix Debut.
French driver Hadjar (left) made his debut at the season opener and is tenth in the championship. Arvid Lindblad (right) is sixth in the Formula 2 standings.
The Red Bull team has announced a new line-up for the 2026 Grand Prix year, moving up Frenchman Isack Hadjar to its A-team and giving 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad his debut F1 drive.
Lindblad, who is of Swedish and Indian heritage, will be team-mate to Kiwi driver Liam Lawson at the sister squad VCARB.
These changes results in Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda exiting the grid following a five-year stint.
Who is Arvid Lindblad?
Arvid Lindblad participated in FP1 for the British and Mexico City Grands Prix in the current season.
The youngster was identified as a rising talent by Red Bull since he was 12 years old.
Talking about the team's young driver programme, a senior Red Bull figure previously said that Lindblad "seems extremely gifted", praising his "natural quickness".
The team has been working since last year to prepare Lindblad for his potential F1 debut in 2026, featuring appearances in F1 practice sessions at Silverstone and Mexico City.
Lindblad stated it was a "huge honour", commenting: "2026 will be a big challenge, and I know there's plenty to absorb, but I'm eager to work closely 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 standings ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Hadjar's Big Break
Isack Hadjar celebrates his first podium in F1, secured at the Dutch Grand Prix this season.
Hadjar's F1 career started in difficult fashion when he crashed during the warm-up lap of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. However, since then, he has been one of the most impressive newcomers of the year.
His performances featured an outstanding top-three result at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits in tenth place in the drivers' standings.
A senior team figure said: "Hadjar has displayed great maturity and proved to be a fast adapter. Crucially, he has the raw speed that is the number one requirement in this sport. We believe he can succeed alongside Max."
The promoted driver called it "an incredible opportunity" and said he felt "up for the challenge".
Tsunoda's Exit
For the seat at Racing Bulls, Red Bull have preferred Lawson instead of Tsunoda.
Lawson started 2025 with the main team but was demoted after just two races. However, he has found his form at Racing Bulls with some strong performances, persuading Red Bull he deserves more time.
The Japanese driver, meanwhile, has been ejected after a disappointing season. His best result is a sixth place, and he has scored a small fraction of the team's constructors' championship.
These announcements mean that there is also no spot on the Red Bull academy for Irish driver Alex Dunne, who will remain in F2 for 2026.
