Red Bull verify Isack Hadjar as Max Verstappen’s 2026 F1 team-mate with British teenager Arvid Lindblad becoming a member of Racing Bulls

Red Bull have confirmed Isack Hadjar will substitute Yuki Tsunoda as Max Verstappen’s team-mate for the 2026 season, whereas British teenager Arvid Lindblad will make his Formula 1 debut with Racing Bulls.

Tsunoda will keep within the Red Bull fold as take a look at and reserve driver.

Hadjar’s spectacular rookie marketing campaign at Racing Bulls, which included a podium on the Dutch Grand Prix, has earned him a seat alongside Verstappen, who’s aiming to win a record-equalling fifth consecutive drivers’ title at Sunday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Current Formula 2 driver Lindblad, who has a Swedish father and a mom of Indian heritage, would be the solely debutant within the discipline subsequent 12 months because the 18-year-old joins Racing Bulls alongside Liam Lawson.

Hadjar, 21, stated: “I’m so grateful to Oracle Red Bull Racing for giving me the chance and belief to race on the highest degree of Formula 1.

“After all of the onerous work I’ve put in since becoming a member of the junior group, it is such an awesome reward.

“I’ve had many ups and downs throughout my career, and they kept believing and pushing me.”

Red Bull group principal Laurent Mekies stated: “[Hadjar] 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 consider Isack can thrive alongside Max and produce the magic on monitor!”

Tsunoda has spent five seasons in Formula 1 but largely underperformed this year after replacing Lawson at Red Bull from the third race of the season in April.

The announcements on Tuesday complete the 22-driver field for 2026 which will see Cadillac join the grid amid new technical regulations where the pecking order could be shaken up.

Hadjar subsequent driver to tackle F1’s ‘hardest seat’

Hadjar will change into Verstappen’s fourth team-mate within the area of 13 months after Tsunoda, Lawson and Sergio Perez, and the sixth in eight seasons since Daniel Ricciardo left the group on the finish of 2018.

The seat subsequent to the Dutchman was routinely described because the “hardest” in F1 by former Red Bull chief Christian Horner and, regardless of theoretically representing one of many grid’s few race-winning drives, has change into one thing of a poisoned chalice for its occupant.

After Perez’s more and more troublesome 4 years within the seat had been ended on the finish of 2024, Lawson was promoted from Racing Bulls however lasted simply the season-opening Australian and Chinese race weekends earlier than being demoted again all the way down to the sister group and Tsunoda promoted in his place.

But regardless of the 25-year-old’s larger F1 expertise than his rapid predecessor, Tsunoda has equally struggled.

He has completed within the factors simply seven instances in 21 Grand Prix appearances, with a greatest end of sixth at September’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and is fifteenth within the Drivers’ Championship, behind each Racing Bulls drivers.

He has outqualified Verstappen solely as soon as in both format, final Saturday for the Qatar Sprint, and is 366 factors behind his reigning champion team-mate, who has received seven grands prix to take the title combat with the McLaren drivers all the way down to the ultimate spherical.

Hadjar, against this, has impressed in his rookie season on the high degree.

Recovering properly from the preliminary setback of spinning out within the moist on his inaugural F1 formation lap on the Australian Grand Prix in March, Hadjar has usually outperformed Lawson and is tenth within the championship after 10 GP factors finishes – headlined by his gorgeous third at Zandvoort, the Red Bull junior group’s first F1 podium since 2021.

“This year with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls has been absolutely amazing, I’ve learnt a lot and secured a maiden podium. I feel I’m much better as a racing driver and a person, due to the team’s support and preparation,” stated Hadjar.

“I feel ready to go to Oracle Red Bull Racing and I am happy and proud they feel the same. It’s an awesome move, to work with the best and learn from Max is something I can’t wait for.”

And whereas Hadjar will inevitably face a steep problem to attempt to get near the relentless Verstappen, his acclimatisation to the drive could also be helped by the actual fact F1’s vehicles are altering radically from subsequent 12 months, because of wide-ranging new chassis and engine laws.

Red Bull are additionally constructing their very own engine for the primary time, in partnership with Ford.

‘It was at all times my aim’ – Red Bull protege Lindblad realises childhood F1 dream

Lindblad was born in Virginia Water, Surrey in August 2007 and would be the fifth British driver on the 2026 grid.

He will change into the youngest-ever Briton to race at motorsport’s high degree when he begins the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 6, and the fourth-youngest general after Verstappen – the one 17-year-old to begin a race – Lance Stroll and Kimi Antonelli.

Lindblad was signed to Red Bull’s famed younger driver programme aged 13 in 2021 throughout a stellar karting profession. After graduating to single-seater racing a 12 months later, he received the celebrated Macau Formula 4 race in 2023 after which the Formula Regional Oceania Championship at the beginning of this 12 months.

After a single season of F3, the place he received 4 instances and completed fourth within the standings, Lindblad went straight into F2 for 2025 and have become the feeder sequence’ youngest race winner, aged 17, by profitable the Sprint race in Saudi Arabia in April.

He adopted that up in June with a victory in the primary Feature race in Spain and is sixth on this 12 months’s standings heading into the ultimate spherical in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Although the minimal age for an F1 superlicence is eighteen, Red Bull efficiently utilized to the FIA for a particular exemption for his or her protege which allowed Lindblad to make his Friday follow debut at his residence British Grand Prix in July, taking up Tsunoda’s automotive.

He returned to the RB21 in first follow in Mexico in October, this time rather than Verstappen, and impressed with the sixth-fastest time of that session, lapping a tenth of a second faster than Tsunoda.

Little over a month on and now, having been confirmed as an F1 race driver for the primary time, Lindblad stated: “I’d like to thank everyone at VCARB for the opportunity.

“Since I began this journey at 5 years outdated, it was at all times my aim to be in Formula 1 so it is a proud second to take this step.

“I’m extremely grateful to the Red Bull junior programme and my personal team for their guidance, mentorship and belief; none of this would have been possible without their support.

“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, it’s going to be an exciting year!”

Alan Permane, Racing Bulls’ group principal, stated of their 2026 line-up: “Liam has shown impressive performance and professionalism throughout this year, he has excelled when conditions have been at their hardest and we look forward to building on this in 2026, while Arvid’s rapid progression marks him as one of the standout young talents in the sport.

“Together, they type a powerful and dynamic pairing, one which embodies the ambition and youthful spirit of VCARB as we enter a transformative new period for Formula 1.”

Lawson’s greatest type on his return to Racing Bulls has come for the reason that summer season, with a greatest results of fifth in Azerbaijan. He first raced for Racing Bulls, then often called AlphaTauri, rather than an injured Ricciardo for 5 races in 2023 earlier than changing the Australian full-time from the United States Grand Prix of October 2024.

Tsunoda retains reserve function

Tsunoda staying in a back-up function at Red Bull will enable the Japanese driver to proceed his F1 affiliation, even when he shall be off the grid after 5 seasons. Honda, the Japanese driver’s long-term backers, are transferring to Aston Martin in 2026.

Mekies, who has labored with Tsunoda at each Red Bull groups, praised the 25-year-old’s growth as a driver and his contribution to the corporate’s F1 efforts since 2021.

“Everyone in the sport would agree it is impossible not to like Yuki, his personality is infectious, and he has become a very special part of the Red Bull family,” he stated.

“On behalf of everyone at Red Bull, I thank him for what he has contributed so far and we know he will provide invaluable support to the 2026 projects moving forwards.”

The 2025 F1 season concludes with the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix reside on Sky Sports F1 from Friday. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime