Red Bull Announces Significant 2026 Driver Line-Up: Hadjar Steps Up, Youngster Arvid Lindblad Secures F1 Drive.
French driver Hadjar (left) made his debut at the season opener and is 10th in the standings. Arvid Lindblad (right) is sixth in the F2 championship.
Red Bull has confirmed a new line-up for the 2026 Grand Prix year, moving up French driver Isack Hadjar to its main squad and giving British teenager Arvid Lindblad his debut F1 drive.
The young driver, who comes from a mixed Swedish-Indian background, will be the partner of Kiwi driver Liam Lawson at the sister squad Racing Bulls.
This reshuffling results in Japan's Yuki Tsunoda exiting the grid after five seasons.
Who is Arvid Lindblad?
The British teen drove FP1 for the Silverstone and Mexican Grands Prix in the current season.
Lindblad has been marked out as a potential future star by Red Bull from the age of 12 years old.
Regarding the company's junior academy, a senior Red Bull figure previously said that Lindblad "appears very talented", commending his "pure speed".
Red Bull prepared a programme for some time to prepare Lindblad for his potential Grand Prix bow in 2026, featuring appearances in Grand Prix practice 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 ready to work closely with the team and step up. I can't wait to get started."
He has won two races in F2 this year and is P6 in the championship ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The Frenchman's Chance
The French driver enjoys his first podium in F1, secured at the Zandvoort race this season.
Hadjar's F1 career started in difficult fashion when he spun out on the formation lap of the first Australian Grand Prix. However, from that point, he has emerged as one of the stand-out newcomers of the year.
He included an outstanding top-three result at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits 10th in the drivers' standings.
The team principal commented: "Isack has shown impressive growth and demonstrated to be a fast adapter. Crucially, he has the innate pace that is the primary necessity in this sport. We believe he can succeed alongside Max."
Hadjar described it "a fantastic step" and said he felt "up for the challenge".
The Lawson Decision
For the seat at Racing Bulls, Red Bull have chosen Lawson over Tsunoda.
Lawson started 2025 with the senior squad but was demoted early in the year. However, he has found his form at Racing Bulls with some strong performances, convincing Red Bull he merits another season.
Tsunoda, in contrast, loses his place after a difficult season. His best result is a P6, and he has accumulated a small fraction of the team's points total.
These announcements mean that there remains no spot on the Red Bull programme for Irish driver Alex Dunne, who will remain in F2 next season.
