Red Bull Unveils New Era: Hadjar Joins Verstappen, Lindblad Debuts in 2026 F1 Shake-Up

Red Bull Racing has confirmed a significant shake-up to its driver lineup for the 2026 Formula 1 season, promoting French talent Isack Hadjar to the senior team and handing an anticipated debut to 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad.

Hadjar, 21, will join four-time world champion Max Verstappen at the main Red Bull squad. His promotion follows an impressive rookie season with Racing Bulls, highlighted by a standout podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix. This move sees Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda lose his position on the grid after five seasons in the sport.

Meanwhile, Arvid Lindblad is set to make his Formula 1 debut with the second team, Racing Bulls, where he will partner New Zealander Liam Lawson. Lindblad, who has a Swedish father and a mother of Indian descent, joins a growing contingent of British drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, George Russell, Oliver Bearman, and Alex Albon.

Lindblad expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “2026 will be a big challenge and I know there’s a lot to learn, but I’m ready to work closely with the team and rise to it. I can’t wait to get started.” Sources close to Red Bull have long marked Lindblad as a potential future star, with Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko previously describing him as “really promising” and commending his “pure speed.” Lindblad has completed two F1 practice sessions and currently sits sixth in the Formula 2 championship with two race victories this year.

Marko recounted a remarkable moment from a Formula 3 race, noting, “In one of the Formula 3 races, he overtook, in one lap, I don’t know, 10 or 14 other drivers. He won the race from being last in these tricky conditions, wet, dry and so on.” He also highlighted Lindblad’s precocious vision from a young age: “It was Arvid who was leading the conversation, with 12 years (of age) or so. So that also was something which is not normal.”

Hadjar’s F1 journey began with a difficult start at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but he quickly rebounded to become one of the season’s standout rookies. He holds an average grid position of 10th and has outperformed his current teammate Liam Lawson in qualifying sessions by a significant margin. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies remarked, “Isack has displayed great maturity and proved to be a quick learner. Most importantly, he has demonstrated the raw speed that is the number one requirement in this sport. We believe Isack can thrive alongside Max and produce the magic on track.” Hadjar described his promotion as “an awesome move,” expressing that he felt “ready” for the challenge.

Liam Lawson, after a brief and challenging stint with the main Red Bull team earlier in 2025, has found his rhythm at Racing Bulls, delivering strong performances including a fifth place in Azerbaijan and a sixth in Austria. His efforts have convinced Red Bull to give him a second full season in 2026. Conversely, Yuki Tsunoda’s disappointing season, where he scored only 7% of Red Bull’s constructor points and struggled significantly against Verstappen, led to his departure from a race seat. Millenium TV has learned that Ireland’s Alex Dunne will not be joining the Red Bull driver program for next season, despite earlier interest, and is reportedly in discussions with Alpine for their development program.