Red Bull promote Hadjar for 2026 with Tsunoda dropped as Verstappen’s teammate – F1 latest

Managed by 2024-25 Formula E champion Oliver Rowland, Lindblad last year became the youngest winner in Formula Three history and has taken only one year in Formula Two to take the next big move.

"Since I started this journey at five years old, it was always my goal to be in Formula One. So it's a proud moment to take this step," he said on Tuesday.

"I can't wait to get started, it's going to be an exciting year."

Before he was ousted in July, former Red Bull boss Christian Horner made clear that he saw Lindblad as another generational talent who could ultimately take the team to new heights in a post-Verstappen era.

"Arvid is definitely a talent for the future. I think that he’s got the right attitude. He’s got the right approach and determination," he said last year.

Lindblad, who grew up in the affluent commuter village of Virginia Water outside London, has been part of Red Bull's young driver programme since 2021 after starting in karting at the age of five.

He took a double win at Silverstone in a strong rookie season in Formula Three and has shone in testing and practice sessions for Red Bull, including going sixth fastest in Verstappen's car in Mexico City last October.

"He did a very good job. It's so difficult to jump in. The pace is there, so not much to argue against that," said Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies at the time.

Red Bull have long spoken of the youngster in glowing terms as a face of the future and nothing has swayed their thinking even after a difficult Formula Two season, where he is sixth with a round remaining.

The statement confirming his arrival alongside New Zealander Liam Lawson spoke of his raw speed, maturity and potential.

"Arvid's rapid progression marks him as one of the standout young talents in the sport," said Racing Bulls principal Alan Permane.

Red Bull fast-tracked Max Verstappen into Formula One as a 17-year-old in 2015 and in Arvid Lindblad, confirmed as a Racing Bulls driver on Tuesday, they believe they have another special teenage talent.

The Briton, who also has a Swedish passport and is of Indian heritage on his mother's side, turned 18 on August 8 and will be one of the youngest Formula One drivers of all time when he debuts in Australia next March 8.

Only four-times world champion Verstappen, Canadian Lance Stroll and Italian Kimi Antonelli were younger when they started out.

Formula One's governing body changed the rules after Verstappen was signed at 16 by Toro Rosso, now Racing Bulls, to make sure that the sport's drivers were over 18 before they raced at the highest level.

Even so, they granted Lindblad a super licence as a 17-year-old after the team requested a dispensation.

Comment: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri missed out on victory in Qatar, with Verstappen’s unlikely win taking this unpredictable F1 title race to the finale in Abu Dhabi. For McLaren, it should never have got this nervy.

Lando Norris is still in position to win the 2025 F1 world championship despite finishing fourth in the Qatar GP.

It means the 26-year-old Englishman has a 12-point advantage heading into the season-finale in Abu Dhabi next week.

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British driver Lindblad moves up to F1 after winning two F2 races this season, continuing a rapid rise since he moved up from karting in 2022. He's already had some F1 experience after driving for Red Bull in practice sessions in Britain and in Mexico, when a sixth-place finish showed signs of strong pace.

He'll be one of six British-born drivers on the grid next year, along with Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Oliver Bearman and Alex Albon, who drives under the Thai flag.

Next year 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," Lindblad said.Racing Bulls is the exception by promoting Lindblad as sweeping regulation changes for 2026 have led other teams to trust more experienced drivers.

Eight teams have left their driver lineups unchanged for next year and Cadillac, the new 11th team, has hired Perez and ex-Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas. They have racked up more than 500 F1 race starts between them.

The role of teammate to four-times world champion Verstappen, who could yet add a fifth title in a row at Sunday's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, has been something of a poisoned chalice for a string of hopefuls.

Verstappen, the absolute number one driver, will start 2026 with his fourth different teammate since the last race of 2024.

No teammate has come close to the Dutch driver's relentless form since Mexican Sergio Perez took four podiums in the first five races last season and then suffered a dramatic loss of pace before departing.

Before him Alex Albon, now at Williams, and Pierre Gasly, who moved to Renault-owned Alpine, also struggled to keep up.

Lawson started this season as the incumbent but was replaced by Tsunoda after two races without scoring.

The Japanese has been completely eclipsed by Verstappen, with the champion winning seven races and scoring 396 points while Tsunoda's tally stands at a mere 33.

Isack Hadjar will replace Yuki Tsunoda in the hot seat as Max Verstappen's Red Bull teammate next season with Arvid Lindblad joining Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls, the Formula One teams announced on Tuesday.

Frenchman Hadjar, 21, has made a big impression in his debut season with sister team Racing Bulls including taking his first podium with third place in the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.

British-born Lindblad, who also has Swedish nationality and Indian heritage through his mother, moves up from Formula Two to partner New Zealander Lawson and will be the sole rookie on the 2026 grid. Tsunoda's departure leaves Formula One without a Japanese driver on the starting grid. Red Bull said he will remain within the 'family' as test and reserve driver for the first season of a new engine era.

Tsunoda will also serve as Racing Bulls reserve when compatriot Ayu Iwasa, this year's Japanese Super Formula champion, is not available.