Red Bull Reveals Major 2026 Driver Line-Up: Hadjar Steps Up, Teenager Arvid Lindblad Earns Grand Prix Debut.

The Austrian squad has confirmed significant changes for the 2026 F1 campaign, moving up French driver Isack Hadjar to its senior team and awarding 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 the partner of New Zealander Liam Lawson at the sister squad VCARB.

This reshuffling means Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda being without a drive after five seasons.

A Star in the Making

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

Talking about the team's young driver programme, a key advisor previously said that Lindblad "seems extremely gifted", praising his "pure speed".

Red Bull has been working for some time to ready 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 "dream come true", commenting: "Next season represents a huge step, and I know there's much to understand, but I'm ready to work closely with the team and step up. I am incredibly excited to get started."

He has won a couple of victories in F2 so far this season and is sixth in the standings heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

A Major Opportunity for Hadjar

Hadjar's F1 career began in difficult fashion when he crashed 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 this season.

His performances included an outstanding top-three result at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he lies 10th in the championship.

A senior team figure commented: "Hadjar has displayed great maturity and proved to be a fast adapter. Most importantly, he has the innate pace that is the number one requirement in this sport. We believe he can thrive alongside Max."

The promoted driver called it "an awesome move" and said he felt "prepared".

Tsunoda's Exit

To partner Lindblad at Racing Bulls, Red Bull have chosen Lawson instead of Tsunoda.

Lawson began the season with the main team but was moved back after just two races. However, he has settled back in at the junior outfit with some strong performances, persuading Red Bull he merits another season.

The Japanese driver, meanwhile, has been ejected after a difficult season. His highest finish is a P6, and he has scored a small fraction of the team's points total.

The driver market moves mean that there is also no spot on the Red Bull academy for Irish driver Alex Dunne, who will remain in F2 next season.