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The Red Bull team has announced significant changes for the 2026 F1 campaign, promoting French driver Isack Hadjar to its main squad and giving 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad his maiden F1 drive.

Lindblad, who comes from a mixed Swedish-Indian background, will be team-mate to Kiwi driver Liam Lawson at the sister squad VCARB.

This driver musical chairs results in Japan's Yuki Tsunoda exiting the grid post a half-decade in F1.

The New British Hope

Lindblad has been marked out as a potential future star by Red Bull since he was 12 years old.

Regarding the company's junior academy, a senior Red Bull figure noted last year that Lindblad "looks really promising", commending his "pure speed".

The team prepared a programme for some time to prepare Lindblad for his likely F1 debut in 2026, including appearances in Grand Prix practice at Silverstone and Mexico City.

Lindblad stated it was a "huge honour", commenting: "Next season represents a massive test, and I know there's much to understand, but I'm ready to collaborate with the team and step up. I can't wait to get started."

Lindblad has taken 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 on a low note when he spun out on the formation lap of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. But, from that point, he has emerged as one of the most impressive rookies of the year.

He featured an excellent podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, and he sits in tenth place in the drivers' standings.

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

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

The Lawson Decision

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

Lawson started 2025 with the main team but was demoted early in the year. However, he has settled back in at the junior outfit with notable results, convincing Red Bull he merits another season.

The Japanese driver, in contrast, loses his place after a difficult season. His best result is a sixth place, and he has accumulated a small fraction of the team's points total.

The driver market moves mean that there remains no spot on the Red Bull programme for Ireland's Alex Dunne, who will remain in F2 next season.