Red Bull Announces Significant 2026 Driver Seats: Hadjar Elevated, Youngster Arvid Lindblad Gets Grand Prix Debut.
French driver Hadjar (left) made his debut at the season opener and is tenth in the championship. British teen Lindblad (right) holds sixth place in the F2 standings.
The Austrian squad has revealed significant changes for the 2026 Formula 1 season, elevating Frenchman Isack Hadjar to its senior team and awarding British teenager Arvid Lindblad his first F1 drive.
The young driver, who is of Swedish and Indian heritage, will be the partner of New Zealander Liam Lawson at the sister squad VCARB.
This reshuffling means Japan's Yuki Tsunoda losing his seat after five seasons.
Who is Arvid Lindblad?
The British teen drove FP1 for the British and Mexico City Grands Prix this year.
The youngster was marked out as a potential future star by Red Bull from the age of 12 years old.
Discussing the team's young driver programme, a key advisor noted last year that Lindblad "looks really promising", praising his "natural quickness".
Red Bull prepared a programme for some time to prepare Lindblad for his likely F1 debut in 2026, including appearances in F1 practice sessions at the British and Mexican races.
Lindblad stated it was a "proud moment", commenting: "2026 will be a huge step, and I know there's much to understand, but I'm prepared to collaborate with the team and meet the challenge. I can't wait to get started."
He has won two races in F2 so far this season and is P6 in the standings heading into 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.
The Frenchman's debut season began in difficult fashion when he spun out on the formation lap of the first Australian Grand Prix. But, from that point, he has been one of the stand-out rookies of the year.
His performances included an outstanding podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits 10th in the championship.
The team principal commented: "Isack has displayed impressive growth and proved to be a quick learner. Crucially, he has the innate pace that is the primary necessity in this sport. We believe he can excel alongside Max."
The promoted driver called it "an awesome move" and said he felt "up for the challenge".
The Lawson Decision
To partner Lindblad at the junior team, Red Bull have chosen Lawson over Tsunoda.
Lawson started 2025 with the senior squad but was demoted after just two races. He has found his form at the junior outfit with some strong performances, persuading Red Bull he merits more time.
The Japanese driver, meanwhile, has been ejected after a disappointing season. His best result is a P6, and he has scored a small fraction of the team's constructors' championship.
These announcements confirm that there is also no spot on the Red Bull programme for Ireland's Alex Dunne, who will continue in F2 for 2026.
