Red Bull Reveals Significant 2026 Driver Seats: Hadjar Elevated, Youngster Lindblad Earns F1 Drive.

The Red Bull team has confirmed a major reshuffle for the 2026 Formula 1 season, moving up French driver Isack Hadjar to its A-team and awarding British teenager Arvid Lindblad his first F1 drive.

Lindblad, who has a Swedish father and a mother of Indian descent, will be the partner of New Zealander Liam Lawson at the second team VCARB.

This reshuffling sees Japan's Yuki Tsunoda exiting the grid following a five-year stint.

A Star in the Making

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

Regarding the company's young driver programme, a senior Red Bull figure previously said that Lindblad "seems extremely gifted", highlighting his "natural quickness".

The team prepared a programme for some time to ready Lindblad for his potential Grand Prix bow in 2026, featuring appearances in F1 practice sessions at the British and Mexican races.

Lindblad stated it was a "huge honour", commenting: "Next season represents a big challenge, and I know there's plenty to absorb, but I'm prepared to work closely with the team and rise to it. I am incredibly excited to get started."

Lindblad has taken a couple of victories in F2 this year and is P6 in the standings heading into the final round in Abu Dhabi.

A Major Opportunity for Hadjar

Hadjar's F1 career started in difficult fashion when he spun out on the formation lap of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. However, from that point, he has been one of the most impressive newcomers this season.

He featured an excellent top-three result at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he lies 10th in the championship.

The team principal said: "Isack has shown impressive growth and demonstrated to be a quick learner. Most importantly, he has the raw speed that is the primary necessity in this sport. We believe he can excel alongside Max."

The promoted driver called it "a fantastic step" and said he felt "ready".

Lawson Retains His Seat

To partner Lindblad at the junior team, Red Bull have preferred Lawson over Tsunoda.

The New Zealander began the season with the senior squad but was demoted early in the year. However, he has found his form at the junior outfit with notable results, convincing Red Bull he merits another season.

The Japanese driver, in contrast, loses his place after a disappointing season. His highest finish is a P6, and he has accumulated a small fraction of the team's points total.

These announcements confirm that there is also no spot on the Red Bull programme for Irish driver Alex Dunne, who will continue in F2 next season.