Red Bull Reveals Major 2026 Driver Seats: Hadjar Elevated, 18-Year-Old Arvid Lindblad Secures F1 Drive.
Isack Hadjar (left) started his career at the season opener and is 10th in the championship. British teen Lindblad (right) is sixth in the Formula 2 championship.
The Red Bull team has announced a new line-up for the 2026 Grand Prix year, moving up Frenchman Isack Hadjar to its senior team and handing 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad his first Formula 1 seat.
Lindblad, who has a Swedish father and a mother of Indian descent, will be team-mate to New Zealander Liam Lawson at the sister squad VCARB.
This reshuffling results in Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda exiting the grid following a five-year stint.
Who is Arvid Lindblad?
Arvid Lindblad took part in first practice for the Silverstone and Mexican Grands Prix this year.
The youngster was marked out as a potential future star by Red Bull from the age of 12 years old.
Regarding the team's young driver programme, a key advisor previously said that Lindblad "looks really promising", highlighting his "natural quickness".
Red Bull prepared a programme for some time to ready Lindblad for his potential F1 debut in 2026, featuring appearances in Grand Prix practice at Silverstone and Mexico City.
Lindblad stated it was a "dream come true", commenting: "Next season represents a big challenge, and I know there's a lot to learn, but I'm ready to work closely 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 standings ahead of the final round in Abu Dhabi.
Hadjar's Big Break
Isack Hadjar celebrates his first podium in F1, secured at the Zandvoort race this season.
Hadjar's F1 career began in difficult fashion when he crashed on the formation lap of the first Australian Grand Prix. However, since then, he has been one of the stand-out rookies this season.
He featured an remarkable top-three result at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he lies in tenth place in the championship.
A senior team figure commented: "Isack has displayed impressive growth 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."
Hadjar described it "an awesome move" and said he felt "up for the challenge".
The Lawson Decision
To partner Lindblad at Racing Bulls, Red Bull have chosen Lawson over Tsunoda.
The New Zealander began the season with the senior squad but was demoted early in the year. However, he has settled back in at the junior outfit with some strong performances, convincing Red Bull he deserves more time.
The Japanese driver, in contrast, loses his place after a disappointing season. His best result is a P6, and he has scored a small fraction of the team's constructors' championship.
The driver market moves confirm that there is also no place on the Red Bull academy for Ireland's Alex Dunne, who will remain in F2 for 2026.
