Red Bull Announces Significant 2026 Driver Seats: Hadjar Elevated, Teenager Lindblad Secures F1 Drive.

The Austrian squad has announced significant changes for the 2026 Formula 1 season, moving up French driver Isack Hadjar to its main squad and awarding 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad his debut Formula 1 seat.

The young driver, who comes from a mixed Swedish-Indian background, is set to become the partner of Kiwi driver Liam Lawson at the sister squad VCARB.

These changes sees Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda losing his seat post a half-decade in F1.

A Star in the Making

Lindblad has been identified as a prodigy by Red Bull since he was 12 years old.

Discussing the team's junior academy, a key advisor previously said that Lindblad "looks really promising", commending his "raw pace".

Red Bull prepared a programme for some time to prepare Lindblad for his potential F1 debut in 2026, including appearances in F1 practice sessions at Silverstone and Mexico City.

Lindblad stated it was a "huge honour", adding: "2026 will be a massive test, and I know there's much to understand, but I'm ready to collaborate with the team and step up. I am incredibly excited to get started."

He has won a couple of victories in F2 this year and is P6 in the championship heading into the final round in Abu Dhabi.

A Major Opportunity for Hadjar

The Frenchman's debut season started in difficult fashion when he spun out during the warm-up lap of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. However, from that point, he has emerged as one of the stand-out rookies of the year.

His performances featured an remarkable top-three result at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he lies in tenth place in the championship.

The team principal said: "Hadjar has shown impressive growth and proved to be a quick learner. Most importantly, he has the raw speed that is the number one requirement in this sport. We believe he can thrive alongside Max."

The promoted driver called it "an incredible opportunity" and said he felt "up for the challenge".

The Lawson Decision

To partner Lindblad at Racing Bulls, Red Bull have opted for Lawson over Tsunoda.

Lawson began the season with the main team but was demoted after just two races. However, he has found his form at Racing Bulls with some strong performances, convincing Red Bull he merits more time.

Tsunoda, in contrast, loses his place after a difficult season. His best result is a P6, and he has scored a small fraction of the team's points total.

These announcements confirm that there is also no spot on the Red Bull academy for Ireland's Alex Dunne, who will remain in F2 for 2026.