F1: Hadjar promoted to Red Bull as Tsunoda loses seat for 2026

Hadjar has been the standout rookie in 2025, and his promotion to be Max Verstappen’s teammate isn’t a surprise. The 21-year-old finished on the podium at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Laurent Mekies, Red Bull’s team principal, praised the young Frenchman’s first season in the sport: “Most importantly, he has demonstrated the raw speed that is the number one requirement in this sport.”

Tsunoda moves to reserve driver, and Arvid Lindblad partners Lawson

Tsunoda has struggled in 2025, scoring 33 points so far this season. The diminutive Japanese driver went on a run of seven grand prix without scoring.

Many feel that his fate was sealed when he suffered a huge crash at the Emilia Romagna GP that saw him flip his Red Bull after hitting the barriers at speed at the Villeneuve chicane in Q1.

The crash put Tsunoda on the back foot for upgrades, and subsequently was always playing catch-up to Verstappen.

The 25-year-old joined the Red Bull family in 2019 as part of its junior team. He has competed in more than 100 races, first with the team now known as Racing Bulls. Tsunoda will remain in the Red Bull set-up as the team’s reserve driver for 2026.

Joining Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls next season will be Arvid Lindblad, who becomes the 20th Red Bull Junior Programme driver to reach F1, according to the team’s website.

The 18-year-old British-Swedish driver has officially been announced as the second driver at Racing Bulls. He’s currently sixth in the Formula 2 series and joined the Red Bull junior academy at the age of 13.

He said it has been his dream to drive in Formula 1 since he started racing at five years old. Lindblad got his first taste of an F1 earlier this season, driving the RB21 in Free Practice 1 outings at Silverstone and Mexico.

New regulations for 2026

The two new driver lineups for Red Bull and Racing Bulls will face a new challenge in 2026.

Next season will see F1 adopt a new set of regulations focused on anelectrification push. The sport is moving toward an even split between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and electrical power, according to Silverstone.co.uk.

The drag reduction system (DRS) will be discontinued in 2026, active aerodynamics will be introduced, and there’ll be an even split between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and electrical power.

Lindblad said, “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!”

Final race of the season

Tsunoda and Hadjar will compete for the final time in their current cars at this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen has a chance to win his fifth consecutive world title as he takes on Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The Red Bull driver is 12 points adrift of Norris. Verstappen can win the title if he wins in Abu Dhabi and Norris finishes P3 or lower.